Crystal Cygne
by 23StellaOrgana
Summary: Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard moves from Moscow to Paris with her parents, only to find that things get crazier from there. What happens when she gets the Swan Miraculous and attracts a certain boy's attention? Slight crossover with Little Shop of Horrors. Pairings: Luka/Elisa, Adrien/Marinette, Nino/Alya, Nathaniel/Sakura, Kim/Ondine, Marc/Lily and Seymour/Audrey.
1. Meet Elisa

_It had been 17 years since the Audrey 2 incident. Seymour Krelborn and Audrey Fulquard were happily married, and they had a 15 year old daughter named Elisa. The family left Skid Row and moved to Moscow, Russia, after Elisa was born._

 _However, today was the day that the family's life would change..._

* * *

 _Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

Audrey Fulquard climbed up the stairs to wake her sleeping daughter. She knocked on the door.

"Elisa, sweetie, time to get up."

Elisa groaned. "Five more minutes, Mom..."

"Elisa, now means now. Your father and I have big news."

The door opened, and out stepped a girl with vibrant platinum blonde hair, pale skin, and vivid emerald eyes. This was Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard.

"Is it good or bad news?"

Audrey put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "It's very good news, sweetie. Come with me. Your father's waiting."

Audrey and Elisa went downstairs to the living room, where Seymour Krelborn, Elisa's father, was waiting.

"Seymour, I brought Elisa."

Seymour went to kiss his wife and hug his daughter. "Morning, Audrey. Morning, Elisa, how's my little princess?"

"Daaaaadd!" Elisa complained. "I'm 15 years old! There's no need to call me little anymore!"

"Now, Elisa, even though you're a teenager, you'll still be our baby." Seymour ruffled his daughter's hair.

Elisa rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Dad?"

Seymour and Audrey led their daughter to the couch.

"Elisa, your mother and I have wonderful news. I'm sure she told you."

"She did." Elisa replied.

"Sweetie, we're going to move to Paris."

"What?!" Elisa gasped. "But I love it here in Moscow!"

"Your father and I love it here too, Elisa." Audrey sighed. "But think of this as a wonderful new opportunity! You get to go to a new school, make new friends, and get to see new places!"

Elisa sighed. "How long until we move?"

"We'll be leaving in three weeks."

Elisa nodded before heading up to her room to call her best friend, Sakura Morris.

"Elisa, so nice to talk to you today!"

"Sakura, can you please come over? I have something to tell you."

"Sure!"

Elisa hung up. Five minutes later, Sakura was at the door. Audrey let her in.

"Elisa's in her room."

"Thank you, Mrs. Krelborn-Fulquard!"

Sakura went up to her friend's room and knocked on the door. Elisa opened the door and gave her friend a hug.

"Please come in."

Elisa shut the door and sat on her bed with Sakura.

"What's the matter, Elisa?"

"Sakura, my parents and I are moving."

"Whaaaattttt?!" Sakura yelled. "You're leaving Moscow?! When?!"

"Yes, and in three weeks."

"I'm going to miss you SO much, Elisa."

"You too, Sakura." Elisa took out her flute and blew a few notes.

Sakura smiled. "Elisa, I know I've said this multiple times, but you are a wonderful flute player."

Elisa giggled. "Well, Sakura, I've always believed music to be simpler than words."

Sakura nodded. "I see. Can you play a song on your flute?"

Elisa smiled. "I sure can."

Sakura closed her eyes and listened to the beautiful melody Elisa played on her flute.

When she finished, Elisa put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Once I leave, be sure to call me once every week, ok?"

Sakura nodded before pulling Elisa into another hug. "I will."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey, guys! I'm into Miraculous Ladybug BIG TIME! I've always wondered what role a Swan Miraculous Holder would play should s/he be in the show.**

 **I love Little Shop of Horrors too, so there is a slight crossover here, with Seymour and Audrey being Elisa's parents. The first few notes Elisa played on her flute was the Pokémon Sun and Moon flute song. The song Elisa played for Sakura was Arioso by Bach.**

 **This will also be a love story. There is foreshadowing in this chapter. Tell me if you get it!**

 **Also, the theme song is the Pokémon Sun and Moon anime Ultra Adventures theme with several word changes.**

 **I'm not telling you the disclaimer, cause you all know the drill.**


	2. The Swan Miraculous

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 _Three weeks later..._

Seymour, Audrey and Elisa arrived in Paris. The moving van with their furniture and other important things would arrive the next day.

"What do you think, Elisa? Isn't Paris lovely?" Audrey gushed.

"Just think, Elisa." Seymour put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "A fresh start."

"Just make sure nothing like Audrey 2 happens again." Elisa chastised her father.

"'Mean Green Mother from Outer Space'". Seymour and Audrey mocked, making the quote gesture with their fingers.

Elisa couldn't help but laugh at her parents' humor.

The three went onto the monorail with their suitcases in hand. As they entered the city, Elisa saw an elderly man in a red and white shirt that appeared to be in trouble.

"I'll be right back." Elisa told her parents. She ran over and caught the elderly man before he fell on the ground.

"Are you ok, sir?"

The elderly man looked up at Elisa and smiled. "Thank you, miss. I'm fine."

Elisa grinned. She had an idea. She took a piece of Russian chocolate from her purse and gave it to the elderly man. "I just moved here from Moscow with my parents. I brought several pieces of my favorite chocolate. Try it!"

The man popped the candy in his mouth. "That's good tasting chocolate. Welcome to Paris, young lady."

"Thank you. Hopefully, I'll see you again!"

As Elisa walked off with her parents, she didn't see the man watch her go.

A little green turtle creature popped out of hiding. "Master Fu, that girl..."

"Wayzz, this is going to be very dangerous. I've sensed it, and I'm sure you have too. Hawk Moth knows of my existence. However, this needs to happen. I think I found the right person for the Swan Miraculous..."

* * *

An hour later, Elisa and her parents arrived at their new home. It was a flower shop with several bedrooms above it. The sign read _Seymour et Audrey fleuriste._

"You know," Elisa turned to smile at her parents. "I think I might like it here!"

Seymour and Audrey smiled back at their daughter.

"Sweetie, your father is going to go and enroll you at Françoise Dupont High School. You'll start tomorrow."

"Ok." Elisa smiled at her mother.

When Elisa arrived in her room and shut the door, she found a suspicious box on the floor. "Hmmm, what's this?"

Elisa opened the box and saw a white feather necklace. A blinding white light nearly made Elisa drop the box. When the light faded, a tiny white swan-like creature hovered before her.

"Whoa!" Elisa cried. "Who or what are you?"

"Bonjour, Elisa! My name is Suuiren, and I'm your kwami!"

Elisa furrowed a brow. "Kwami?"

"Yeah! Have you heard of Ladybug and Cat Noir?"

"Ladybug? Cat Noir?"

Suuiren smiled. "Yeah! They're superheroes that save Paris from the big bad Hawk Moth!"

Elisa put her chin in her hand. "I assume this Hawk Moth is the supervillain?"

Suuiren nodded. "Yes. I've been sent to you to grant you superpowers!"

Elisa squealed. "Really?!"

"Elisa, sweetie?" Audrey knocked on the door. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah!" Elisa stuttered. "Um... I'm just so excited to make new friends!"

"Ok, honey."

Elisa sighed in relief when she heard her mother's footsteps fade. She then took the necklace and put it around her neck.

"Now, Elisa, you cannot tell _anyone_ about this. Not even your parents."

Elisa nodded. "I understand."

"And you also must keep your civilian identity a secret from Ladybug and Cat Noir."

Elisa was about to question why, but the answer came to her immediately. "All right. So how do I transform?"

Suuiren giggled. "All you have to say is 'Suuiren, shake your feathers!'."

Elisa took a deep breath. "All right, then. Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

Suuiren went into Elisa's necklace. Upon looking at herself in the mirror, Elisa marveled at her appearance. She wore a light blue mask and suit with white feathers and gloves. On her feet were glittering white boots. Her weapon was a shimmering blue and white scepter, tipped with a blue moonstone.

"I look good! Suuiren, land."

Elisa transformed back into herself. Suuiren emerged from the necklace.

"Now, Elisa, I need to be fed to regain my energy. I like to eat honeysuckles."

"Ok. My parents are going to run the flower shop, so I'll ask them. By the way, do Ladybug and Cat Noir have their own kwamis?"

"Yes." Suuiren replied. "Their names are Tikki and Plagg."

"Oh!" Elisa gasped. "What's my superhero name?"

"It is Crystal Cygne."

"Crystal Cygne. I like it!"

"And one more thing I have to tell you."

"Yeah, Suuiren?"

"Your special power is Swan Song. You touch the moonstone on your scepter to activate it. However, once you use it, you only have five minutes before you transform back."

Elisa nodded. "Ok."

Suddenly, Elisa heard footsteps in the hallway again. "Suuiren, hide in my purse!"

Suuiren dove into Elisa's purse. The door opened and Seymour entered.

"Do you like the purple walls, Elisa?"

Elisa smiled at her father. "Yes."

"The moving van will be here by the time you get home from school tomorrow. Oh, and I just enrolled you. You'll be starting at Françoise Dupont High School tomorrow." Seymour then saw the necklace. "Elisa, where did you get that necklace? It's pretty."

"Um... It was given to me by Sakura yesterday." Elisa lied.

"That was very nice of her." With that, Seymour left his daughter's room.

Not one day in Paris and Elisa's life has made a sharp turn. But what Elisa didn't know was that there was an even sharper turn on the way...


	3. Changes

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 **Elisa**

Later that afternoon, Suuiren and I meditated together before I played an aria on my flute.

"You play the flute, Elisa?" Suuiren asked me.

"I do." I replied with a smile. "It's something I've done since I was a little girl."

All of a sudden, I heard screams from out my closed window. People were running away from a supervillain with rocket boots.

"Elisa! That's an akumatized villain! It's time for your first fight!"

I smirked. "You're right. Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

Suuiren went into my necklace and I transformed into Crystal Cygne.

I heard my mother's footsteps in the hallway. I had an idea so Mom wouldn't suspect anything. I opened the window. As Mom entered, I yelled out "Run, Elisa! Run!"

"Who might you be?" Mom asked me.

"I'm Crystal Cygne, a new hero in Paris. Are you Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard's mother?"

Mom nodded.

"Your daughter is fine. I got her to safety."

Mom sighed in relief. "Thank you, Crystal Cygne."

I nodded before flying out the window. Yes, I could fly when I was transformed.

I eventually came upon a blonde haired boy in a black suit and mask, and a blue haired girl in a red and black suit and mask. I instantly knew they were Ladybug and Cat Noir.

"Who's this, my lady?" Cat Noir pointed at me.

"I'm Crystal Cygne. Your duo has just become a trio."

"Welcome to the team, Crystal Cygne." Ladybug said, shaking my hand.

Half an hour later, the three of us defeated the villain, Rocket Man.

"Pound it!" Our fists met in the middle.

"So, Ladybug, Cat Noir, what exactly does Hawk Moth want?"

Ladybug shook her head. "He wants our Miraculouses. He'll probably try and go after yours too."

At that moment, Cat Noir's ring beeped.

"Well, looks like this kitty has to meowve out." With that, he left.

I rolled my eyes at his silly pun.

"He always makes cat puns." Ladybug explained.

"I see. I'll see you around, Ladybug!"

"You too, Crystal Cygne!"

I ran into an alley to de-transform. Suuiren dove into my purse.

When I got home, I went to hug my parents.

"Are you all right, Elisa?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry, Dad. Crystal Cygne got me to safety."

With that, I went upstairs to my room.

* * *

 **Normal POV**

Seymour was cleaning the window when he heard a voice behind him.

"I assume you are Seymour Krelborn, sir?"

Seymour turned around to see a boy with blue and black hair. A girl with purple and black hair stood beside him.

"Yes, I am. I just moved here with my wife and daughter."

"We heard about you from our mother. Oh, my name is Luka. This is Juleka, my little sister."

"Hey!" Juleka smacked Luka on the shoulder.

"Audrey! Come down and meet these kids!"

Audrey came downstairs, smiling at the Couffaine siblings.

"Oh, hello there! I see you met my husband. I'm Audrey Fulquard. Seymour and I run this flower shop." She turned to the boy. "Luka, right?"

"Yes."

"Seymour and I have a daughter around your age. She's upstairs in her room." She then turned to the stairs and hollered. "Elisa! Come down here! We have guests!"

* * *

 **Elisa**

"Elisa! Come down here! We have guests!" I heard my mother's voice call out to me.

"Coming, Mom!"

Suuiren went into my purse, and I put it on the floor before leaving my room. I paused at the top of the stairs. I saw a goth-looking girl with purple and black hair. However, when I saw the blue and black haired boy next to her, my heart stopped. His ice blue eyes met my emerald ones. Oh, goodness, he is so handsome...

I slowly descended the stairs, and the boy walked towards me. The girl's jaw dropped, and my parents gasped. When we finally stood in front of each other, I couldn't help but curtsey. The boy took my hand and placed a kiss on it.

"I've never met a girl so beautiful..." He spoke.

"Ah..."

Oh, dear God, his voice... Just what was he doing to me?!

"Luka, this is our daughter, Elisa. Elisa, meet Luka." Mom introduced us.

So his name is Luka...

"Elisa, huh?" Luka smiled down at me.

"You know, Luka," My mother smirked. "Elisa is a musician just like you! She plays the flute."

I nodded. "I do." I suddenly found myself stuttering. "W-wanna s-see?"

Luka took my hand and led me upstairs. I showed him to my room.

"U-uh, it's not much y-yet. The m-moving van w-w-won't be here t-til tomorrow." Oh, no, was I blushing?!

"You're cute when you blush." Luka winked at me. Lord help me...

I picked up my flute and played the Sun and Moon flute melody. I seemed to see what was in his heart.

"Elisa, you're really good at this."

"Y-you know, Luka, I've a-always believed music t-to be..."

"Simpler than words." He finished with me. Wait, what?!

"We have so much in common, don't we, Elisa?"

"I-I guess we do."

"You know, you remind me a little of Marinette."

"Um... Who's Marinette?"

"She's a girl I met yesterday. She told me about this bad guy named Hawk Moth who akumatizes people. He did that to our mom, but Ladybug and Cat Noir saved her."

"Luka!" Juleka called out. "We have to go!"

Luka placed another kiss on my hand. "I hope to see you again, Elisa."

"Oh... You too." I giggled.

He stared at me a little while longer before heading downstairs.

Suuiren came out of my purse, snickering. "I heard everything, Elisa. It seems you're falling for Luka. And I'm quite positive he likes you."

I put a hand to my heart and let out a sigh. Suuiren was right. I had fallen in love...


	4. Sing, Sweet Nightingale

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 _The next day..._

"Elisa! Wake up! Today's your first day at your new school!" Audrey hollered up the stairs.

Elisa sat up in her sleeping bag and called out to her mother. "Coming, Mom! I just need to get dressed!"

Elisa took her icy blue dress out of her suitcase and changed into it. The dress was a u-neck with an embellished waist, sequin details and 3D-style flowers. It hit below the knees in the back.

Suuiren helped Elisa put on her white heels.

"Awww, Suuiren, thank you!"

Suuiren winked. "You're welcome!" The swan kwami sing-songed.

Elisa slung her purse across her body, the strap across her shoulder.

"Suuiren, get in the bag!"

Suuiren winked again before flying into Elisa's purse.

Elisa ran downstairs, only to be stopped by her mother. "Careful running in heels, Elisa. You don't want to hurt yourself."

"Yes, Mom." Elisa sighed.

After eating her breakfast and brushing her teeth, Elisa put her platinum blonde hair up in a low bun. Suddenly, the events of yesterday afternoon ran through her head like a blizzard, causing her to space out.

"Elisa, you ready to go, sweetie? Elisa?"

"Huh?" Elisa snapped out of her daze. "Yes, Mom?"

Audrey smirked at her daughter. "You're thinking about Luka, aren't you?"

Elisa's face turned tomato red. "Uh... um... I... Uh..."

"No need to hide it, Elisa." Audrey giggled. "Ah, young love. I remember feeling that spark when your father and I first met. However, I was with that awful dentist..."

"Orin Scrivello, DDS. Yeah, I know." Elisa growled. She had been told of the way her mother had been treated by that creep.

"Have a good day at school, sweetie!" Audrey kissed her daughter's forehead.

"I will. Love you, Mom!" Elisa called out as she walked out the door and off to Françoise Dupont High School.

"So," A female voice said behind her. "You must be the new girl."

Elisa turned and saw a girl with dark blue hair in pigtails. She wore a white shirt with pink flowers and brown leaves. Over her shirt, the girl wore a dark gray blazer with rolled up sleeves.

"Yeah. My parents and I moved here from Moscow yesterday."

The girl held out her hand. "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng. What's your name?"

Elisa shook Marinette's hand. "Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard."

"Want to walk to school with me, Elisa?"

Elisa smiled. "I would love to, Marinette. I need someone to show me around."

Marinette and Elisa talked as they walked together.

"Hey, Elisa, have you met Luka?"

"Uh..." Elisa blushed, thinking about yesterday.

"You did!" Marinette squealed. "Oh, you're blushing! You like him!"

"My mother knows. You're not the only one. In fact, it was Luka who told me about you. He said I reminded him of you a bit."

"Do you stutter when you are around him?"

"Yeah." She replied.

"By the way, your dress is beautiful!"

Elisa smoothed out the dress a little. "Thank you. I got it on my 15th birthday."

Before they knew it, the girls came upon the steps to Françoise Dupont High School.

"Well, Elisa, we're here. Let's go see Principal Damocles."

* * *

 **Elisa**

Marinette and I went into Principal Damocles' office.

"Principal Damocles, I have Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard here." Marinette introduced me.

Principal Damocles shook my hand. "Welcome, Miss Krelborn-Fulquard. Your schedule is right here."

I took the paper and looked at it. "Ms. Bustier?"

"We have a class together, Elisa! Let's go!"

Marinette took me to Miss Bustier's classroom.

"Wait out here."

Marinette went into the classroom. After a few seconds, the students went silent, and I heard a new voice, possibly Ms. Bustier.

"All right, everyone. We have a new student in class today. Marinette, bring her in."

Marinette came out, took me by the hand, and led me into the room. I looked around timidly, seeing everyone's eyes on me. I then saw a familiar face. It couldn't be! Luka?!

I stood in front of the class, and Ms. Bustier laid a hand on my shoulder.

"It's ok. Introduce yourself."

"Um..." I spoke. "My name is Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard. I'm from Moscow, and now I live here."

"We're glad to have you here, Elisa." Ms. Bustier gave me a warm smile. "Can you tell us a bit about yourself?"

I started to speak more confidently. "I play the flute. My parents run the flower shop here. They were involved in the 'Audrey 2' incident back in Skid Row before I was born. And let me tell you, Skid Row was not a nice place. I was born there, but I was raised in Moscow. My mother always dreamed of going 'somewhere that's green' with my father. And it happened."

"That was very interesting, Elisa, and once again, we are thrilled to have you in the class." Ms. Bustier pointed to an empty desk. "Why don't you sit next to Luka over there?"

I froze. Oh, no...

Marinette put a hand on my shoulder. "It's all right, Elisa."

I went to sit down at my desk. I was so nervous...

Someone took my hand in theirs. I looked up to see Luka staring into my eyes.

"Don't be nervous, Elisa." He squeezed my hand. "I've been there too."

* * *

 **Luka**

Elisa was nervous. I knew how she felt. It was her first day at a new school, and she was under a lot of pressure from moving to Paris.

I took hold of her hand. She looked up at me, and I gazed into her beautiful emerald eyes.

"Don't be nervous, Elisa." I squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I've been there too."

Elisa's scared face morphed into a gentle smile.

I thought back to yesterday when I first met her. Not only is she gorgeous, but she and I have so much in common. I learned more about her during lunch today.

"Elisa, could you tell me more about yourself?"

As she spoke, I noticed that she was no longer stuttering. Her confidence was growing.

"Well, I'm 15 years old, I'm an only child, and until now, I've only lived in one place."

"What exactly was the Audrey 2 incident?" I asked her, remembering the mention of that earlier.

"It's a long story." Elisa replied. "I'll tell you later."

"What do you like to do in your free time, Elisa? I know you play the flute, but what else?"

Elisa smiled. "Well, I sing, I meditate, and I hang with my friends."

"Me too! We have so much in common, don't we Elisa?"

"Heh, I guess we do."

The bell rang and we headed to our music class. Our teacher wanted us each to practice a song.

This obnoxious girl named Chloé Bourgeois, who Marinette told me about, was up first. Elisa had gone into a nearby room to practice. Chloé's sidekick, Sabrina Raincomprix, was on the piano.

" _The pear-shaped toad..._ " Sabrina began.

Chloé started singing.

" _Ohhhhh,_

 _Sing sweet nightingale,_

 _Sing sweet nightingale,_

 _Hi-i-i-i-igh above me_

 _Oh, sing sweet nightingale,_

 _Sing sweet nightingale..._ "

I sighed. Marinette was right about Chloé. I could even see it from the way Marinette was treated by her in Ms. Bustier's class.

I went to look for Elisa. I found her in a nearby room, singing the same song, except hers was different. Elisa's voice was beautiful.

She was also twirling around as if she was in a trance. Was she thinking about me...?

* * *

 **Elisa**

I had gone into a separate room to sing. I twirled around as if I was dancing with Luka.

" _Hi-i-i-i-igh above..._

 _Oh, sing sweet nightingale_

 _Sing sweet nightingale_

 _High..._

 _Sing sweet nightingale_

 _Sing sweet nightingale_

 _Oh, sing sweet nightingale_

 _Sing, sweet..._

 _Oh, sing sweet nightingale_

 _Sing..._

 _Oh, sing sweet nightingale_

 _Oh, sing sweet..._

 _Oh, sing..._ "

"Elisa..." A familiar deep voice rumbled behind me. I gasped and turned around. Had Luka been standing there the whole time?!

"Luka..." I breathed.

In a few seconds, he was standing right in front of me.

"Elisa, you have a beautiful voice."

I blushed, putting a hand to my heart. "Thank you..."

Soon, it was time to go. I'm sure by now, the moving van has arrived at my house. Luka and I walked down the steps together.

"Elisa, Juleka and I are inviting everyone over to our houseboat for a get-together. Would you like to come?"

"I'd love to come." I replied.

Luka smiled and pressed his lips to my cheek. Whoa!

"I'll see you tomorrow, Elisa."

As I walked home, I stopped and sighed, touching my cheek where his lips had been.

Oh, I'm pretty much a goner...


	5. Things Get Real

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 **Elisa**

When I arrived home, I saw the moving van parked in front of the flower shop. I smiled and entered.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!"

Mom ran downstairs to hug me. "How was school, sweetie?"

"School was great! I made a few friends today. Also, Luka goes there..."

Mom wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh, really? Did he hold your hand?"

"Yeah."

"Awww..." Mom squealed.

"He also..." I sighed. "Kissed my cheek."

A huge grin morphed on Mom's face. "Did he really?! That's so sweet! I'm certain he has feelings for you. Oh, and the movers are almost done moving everything into the house. Your furniture is upstairs in your room, and the only thing left to do is unpack all the boxes."

"Ok, thanks, Mom! Where's Dad?"

"He's dealing with a customer in the shop. It's best not to interrupt him. Why don't you go upstairs and play on your flute?"

"I have to call Sakura!"

I ran upstairs and logged onto my laptop before giving Sakura a FaceTime call. Her face appeared on the laptop screen.

"Hey, Elisa! How was your first day at your new school?" Sakura smiled at me.

"School was great! I made several new friends, like Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste, Alya Césaire, Juleka Couffaine, and several others."

"Did you catch the attention of a guy?"

"Uh... Yeah. Juleka's big brother Luka." I blushed, remembering the sensation of his lips on my cheek. "He's a musician just like me! He plays the electric guitar."

"Daaaayum, girl!" Sakura squealed. "I haven't gotten anyone's attention yet."

"Hey, you'll find someone soon." I comforted my best friend.

Sakura sighed. "I hope..."

"So... How is it back in Moscow?"

"Everyone in school is upset. They've been saying things like 'Elisa is gone!', 'She moved to Paris?!' and 'We miss our girl!'."

"Awww... I miss them too. Please tell them that."

Sakura winked. "Don't worry, Elisa. I will." She then saw the Swan Miraculous around my neck. "Elisa, where did you get that?"

I hated lying to my best friend. But I needed to keep my double life a secret. "I got it at the store."

"It's pretty. I wish I had something like that."

"I understand, Sakura."

I then heard a knock on the door. "Elisa, dinner's ready!"

"Coming, Dad! My father's calling me for dinner. I have to go. Talk to you later!"

"You too, Elisa."

Sakura logged off FaceTime. I followed suit before heading downstairs for dinner.

* * *

 **Seymour**

A busy day had gone by, and we made quite a bit of money from the flower sales.

Audrey came into the shop. "I have dinner ready. Could you go upstairs and call Elisa down?"

"Sure." I replied. I headed upstairs to my daughter's room, thinking back to the Audrey 2 incident 17 years ago. Imagine the shock when I found out that wretched plant wanted to take over the world!

"Mean Green Mother from Outer Space..." I spat under my breath. I reached the door to Elisa's room and overheard her talking with Sakura on FaceTime.

"Elisa, dinner's ready!" I knocked on the door.

"Coming, Dad!" Elisa's voice came from the other side.

I went downstairs to watch Audrey set the table. I then heard the clicking of heels as Elisa ran down the steps. I rushed to stop her before she got hurt.

"Elisa, what did your mother say about running in heels?" I firmly told her.

"Sorry, Dad." Elisa apologized.

"Sweetie, we don't want you getting hurt." Audrey interjected.

"I understand, Mom." Elisa nodded.

The three of us sat down at the table to eat.

"So, Seymour," Audrey had a goofy grin on her face. "Our daughter snared the attention of a boy!"

I sighed. I knew this day would come. My overprotective father side started to come out.

"Audrey, we're going to lose her!"

"Come, come now, Seymour." Audrey shook her head. "She's at the age to date, and you know that."

"What's this boy's name, Elisa?"

"His name is Luka. He and I have so much in common." Elisa looked dazed, as if she was in a trance. "He's so handsome, he has a nice personality, and don't get me started on his voice. Don't."

Audrey snickered. "I remember how I used to swoon about you, remember that, Seymour?"

I couldn't help but smile at the memory. "Yeah." I then looked at our daughter. "Elisa, should you two start dating, remember this. Don't do anything stupid."

Elisa caught on and groaned. "Daaaaadd!"

Audrey rolled her eyes. "Leave her be. I already had the talk with her."

A few hours later, it was time for bed. Audrey and I kissed Elisa good night before heading to bed.

* * *

 **Elisa**

It was a new day, and the weekend had started. Still in my yellow nightdress, I went downstairs to get some apple slices for breakfast. Dad was in the shop selling pink roses, and Mom was waiting for me.

"Good morning, Elisa. Are you going anywhere today?"

I nodded. "Yes, Mom. I'm going over to Luka's place for a class get-together."

"Well then pick a beautiful dress to wear, and _please_ brush your hair!"

After scarfing down my apple slices, I ran upstairs and changed into a pale pink ankle-length dress with sequin patterns. I brushed my hair and teeth before putting on my white heels.

"Ready to go, Suuiren?" I asked my kwami.

"Let's go, Elisa!"

Suuiren flew into my purse before I slung it over my shoulder. I walked downstairs this time.

"Thank you for not running, Elisa. Have fun, sweetie!"

"I will, Mom!" I called as I went out the door.

It only took ten minutes to arrive at Luka and Juleka's houseboat.

"Hey, Elisa!" Juleka greeted me. "You're here!" She looked at my dress and beamed. "Girl, you look beautiful! Just wait until my brother sees you!"

Juleka and Luka's mother, Anarka, helped me into the house. "Oh, just look at you! You're all Luka ever talks about! He's right! You _are_ an angel..."

"Luka!" Anarka hollered. "Elisa's here!"

I heard a door open and close. Luka turned a corner and stopped when he saw me.

"Elisa, I don't know what to say. You look gorgeous. What a beautiful dress... And that blue one on you yesterday was just as beautiful."

"Thanks..."

"Ok, everyone!" Alya shouted at everyone. "It's time for a game of Truth or Dare!"

Luka and I sat down with everyone else as Alya started the game.

"Marinette, truth or dare?"

"Truth." Said Marinette.

Alya smiled. "How long have you liked Adrien?"

Marinette blushed. "Since that day with the umbrella."

"Awww..." Squealed the girls.

Alya looked at her boyfriend. "Nino, truth or dare?"

"Dare." Said Nino.

Alya snickered. "I dare you to act like a monkey for two minutes!"

Nino scratched himself and made monkey noises, causing everyone to laugh.

Alya turned to Nathaniel next. "Nathan, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to draw polka dots on Ivan's arms!"

Nathaniel took out his red and blue markers and drew polka dots on Ivan's arms.

We all couldn't help but laugh at how weird Ivan looked.

"Laugh it up, chumps." Ivan scoffed.

"Juleka, truth or dare?"

"Truth." Juleka answered.

"How younger are you than Luka?"

"Luka is 15, and I'm 13, so we're two years apart in age."

Marinette smirked. "It's your turn, Alya! Truth or dare?"

Alya smirked back. "Dare."

"I dare you to dance the Gangnam Style while making fish faces!"

Everyone burst into hysterical laughter. Juleka put on the music, and Alya did the Gangnam Style while making funny fish faces. When it was over, Alya slapped Marinette's shoulder.

"Very funny, Marinette. Very funny."

"Alya, Rose is next." I pointed out.

"Oh, right. Rose, truth or dare?"

"Truth!" Piped Rose.

"Why did you name the band 'Kitty Section'?"

Rose giggled. "Because..." She then sang the funny song from the music festival about unicorns and fluffy cats.

The girls snickered and the boys, except for Luka, Adrien and Ivan, rolled their eyes.

"All right, Elisa. Truth or dare?"

"Truth." I replied with a gentle smile.

"How long have you been a flutist?"

"Since I was 11." I replied.

"Elisa is one of a kind." Marinette smiled at me. "She's very bright for a flutist her age."

Alya turned to Adrien. "Adrien, truth or dare?"

"Dare." Said Adrien.

"I dare you to talk like a robot for the next minute!"

We all laughed at Adrien's robot voice.

"All right! It's your turn, Luka! Truth or dare?"

We held our breath, waiting for his decision.

"Dare." Luka answered after ten seconds of silence.

Alya squealed. "I have the best idea for this one! I dare you... No, I TRIPLE DOG DARE you..." She pointed at me. "To kiss Elisa!"

"What?!" Luka and I shouted at the same time.

"Sorry, but you can't chicken out." Alya snickered.

Luka and I stood up and walked towards each other. We finally met one another in the middle. Luka smiled down at me warmly, and I returned it.

"Oh, for goodness sake, kiss her!" Juleka yelled.

My pale face was getting redder with every passing second. Luka grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close to him. He started to lean in... He was going to kiss me! I met him halfway, and his lips pressed against mine.

Oh my goodness, he's so warm...

I returned his kiss with equal passion. His strong arms tightened around my waist, holding me like I was going to disappear.

"Yeah, Luka! Get some!" Hollered the boys.

The girls wolf-whistled.

When we finally pulled away, I glared at Marinette and Alya before turning back to Luka, burying my face in his chest.

"Ooh! Look at her! She's flustered!" Rose giggled.

"Shut up..." I groaned. I can't believe Alya had the gall to do this.

An hour later, the get-together was over. I was in Luka's room, looking at a poster of a singer named Jagged Stone. Who was this dude?

I was broken from my thoughts when someone's arms curled around my waist from behind me.

"There you are, Elisa." Luka's deep voice rumbled in my ear. "I was looking for you." He pulled me back into his chest.

"Y-you were?" I said breathlessly. I closed my eyes at the feel of his hands caressing my bare shoulders. What was he doing?!

"Elisa, I want to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"I know that Alya rushed things with the dare and everything, but when I first saw you, I felt as if my life has changed. And I wonder why I like being with you so much. Over time, I began to feel weird around you, and I knew what it was. I wanted to tell you this at a later time, but the dare happened, and... well... I always wonder why your voice is so beautiful, why you came to Paris at a time like this. Why you look radiant every single day..." He tightened his arms around me. "Why would the only girl I'd ever hold in my arms be you?"

"Because..." I could barely speak. "I guess it's the way you feel."

"I'm trying to give you hints, Elisa."

"Wait..." I gasped. "Are you saying...?"

Luka turned me to face him, but kept me in his arms. He smiled down at me lovingly. "It's exactly what I'm saying. Elisa, I love you."

I started to cry, but Luka wiped a tear from my cheek. He cupped my face with one hand, caressing it with his thumb.

He then leaned down and kissed me. Oh my, his lips are so soft and warm... This wasn't anything forced by a dare. It was real. My legs gave out, and I nearly collapsed, but Luka caught me and held me tightly to his chest. Our bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

We eventually separated for breath. I laid my head down on his chest as he ran his fingers through my platinum blonde hair. I could hear his racing heartbeat. I'm sure my heart was beating just as fast.

"I love you too, Luka..."


	6. First Date and Zombizou

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 **Elisa**

"He what?!" Sakura screeched when I told her via FaceTime what had happened yesterday.

"You heard me! Luka kissed me! Not on the cheek, not the forehead, but the lips." I threw my hands up in the air. Sometimes, Sakura could be such an idiot...

"Awwwww!" Sakura squealed. "Did he say 'I love you'?"

"He did. I feel the same. In fact, I need some advice on what to wear. Luka just asked me out on... A date!"

Sakura gasped. "When is it?"

"Tonight, when the moon comes up."

Sakura smirked. "I hope you guys have fun."

"And by 'have fun', you mean 'make out', right?" I deadpanned.

Sakura just blew a raspberry at me.

"Elisa, time for dinner!" Mom knocked on my bedroom door.

Three hours passed. The sun was setting, and it was almost 8:00. I had dinner and fed Suuiren some honeysuckles. I was in the bathroom putting on my foundation. I had already brushed my teeth and applied my lipstick.

Mom knocked on the door. "Elisa, please brush your hair!"

"I will, Mom!" I called back.

I ran the brush through my hair until it was smooth as silk. I then went to my room to change into a sparkling pastel green dress that went slightly below my knees. Suuiren helped me out on my glittering golden character slippers. I looked out the window and saw the moon in the sky, the stars shining next to it.

"Wow, Elisa!" Suuiren marveled at my appearance. "You look like a magnolia in May!"

"Well don't you look dapper, eh, Luka?" I heard my mother's voice from downstairs.

"Take good care of my daughter." Came Dad's voice.

"Elisa!" Mom shouted up the stairs.

"Coming, Mom!"

I stopped at the top of the stairs, just like when Luka and I first met.

As I slowly descended the stairs, Mom turned to Dad.

"Seymour, this is just like when they first met."

When I stood in front of Luka, he pulled me by the wrist and into his arms. "Elisa, you look beautiful as always."

"Thank you."

"Don't forget to be back by 10:00. You both have school tomorrow!" Dad hollered after us as we went out the door.

"We will!" Luka and I hollered back.

We were soon taking a stroll through the park in the moonlight.

"So, how's your father?" I asked.

Luka sighed. "I don't know. He left after Juleka was born, so I have little memory of him."

"I'm so sorry, Luka. My grandfather left early when my mother was young. Grandma was poor. Both my paternal grandparents are dead."

"Can you tell me a little bit about your parents' past?" Luka asked, lacing his fingers through mine.

"My mother used to date a sadistic dentist; Orin Scrivello DDS. He would abuse her like she was nothing." I gritted my teeth at the memory of Mom telling me how she was treated.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Is your mother doing much better now?"

I smiled. "Ever since she married Dad and had me, things couldn't be better!"

I then heard pretty music in the distance. We stopped to listen.

Luka held out his hand to me. "Will you dance with me, Elisa?"

I gasped, taken aback, yet a smile rose on my face. "A waltz in the moonlight? Absolutely!"

I gently placed my hand in his before he took a firm hold of my waist with the other. I then laid my other hand on his shoulder. Luka started to lead me.

"Did your mother teach you how to dance?" My eyes sparkled with love and adoration.

"She did." Luka replied.

"My father taught me. I used to step on his toes all the time." I giggled at the memory.

Suddenly, the music seemed to reach my heart, overwhelming my soul. I couldn't help but sing a lovely song.

 **Elisa:**

 _Dancing on a cloud_

 _I'm dancing on a cloud._

 _When I'm in your arms, the world is a heavenly place._

Luka joined in the song. Awww, I've never sang a duet with him before!

 **Luka:**

 _Dancing in a dream_

 _I'm dancing in a dream._

 _For how can I help but dream when I see your face_

 _Before me...?_

 **Elisa:**

 _Love is on its way,_

 _And as we gently sway,_

 _The moon and the stars appear bringing romance for two._

 **Luka:**

 _I just can't believe that I found you._

 **Elisa:**

 _I just can't believe that it's true._

 **Both:**

 _Yet here am I dancing high on a cloud with you._

* * *

 **Normal POV**

Unbeknownst to the two, Ladybug and Cat Noir were watching, proud smiles on their faces.

"Awww... Aren't Luka and Elisa adorable together?" Ladybug cooed.

"Not as adorable as you and me, my lady." Cat Noir then sighed. "It's a shame Crystal Cygne couldn't go on her first patrol."

Ladybug put a hand on Cat Noir's shoulder. "Don't worry, silly kitty. I'm sure she'll be able to make it next time!"

"I hope so." Cat Noir sighed. "I really was looking forward to showing her the ropes."

"We'll teach her together, right, kitty?"

Cat Noir winked. "That's right, bugaboo."

* * *

 **Elisa**

I completely related to the words Luka and I were singing. I really did feel like we were in the clouds!

 **Luka: (Elisa:)**

 _Dancing on a cloud (ooh ooh)_

 _I'm dancing on a cloud (ooh)_

 **Elisa: (Luka):**

 _When I'm in your arms, this world is a heavenly place (Ohhh)_

 **Luka: (Elisa):**

 _Dancing in a dream (wah woah oh)_

 **Both:**

 _I'm dancing in a dream._

 _For how can I help but dream when I see your face_

 _Before me..?_

 _Love is on its way,_

 _And as we gently sway,_

 _The moon and the stars appear bringing romance_

 **Luka: (Elisa):**

 _For two (for me and for you)_

 **Elisa:**

 _I just can't believe that I found you._

 **Luka:**

 _I just can't believe that it's true._

 **Both:**

 _Yet here am I dancing high on a cloud with you._

As we stopped dancing, we stared into each other's eyes before he pulled me into a kiss.

"Luka, please tell me this is real, and I'm not dreaming..." I murmured when we separated.

Luka leaned down to my ear and whispered in a seductive purr. "Does this feel like a dream to you?" He then nipped my neck.

"Hey!" I yelped. "All right, all right, it's real." I then burst into a fit of giggles.

I then looked at my cell phone. I gasped. It was almost 10:00!

"I have to get home! We have school tomorrow."

Luka offered me his arm. "Shall we, Elisa?"

I looped my arm through his. "We shall."

Five minutes later, we were back home. Mom and Dad were waiting for us.

"Thank you, Luka, for escorting Elisa home." Said Mom.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Krelborn-Fulquard." Luka replied.

Mom giggled. "Please call me Audrey."

Luka kissed me goodnight. "Good night, Elisa. I love you, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too, Luka."

I went inside with my parents and said good night to them. I then went upstairs and changed out of my green dress and into my yellow nightdress before saying good night to Suuiren and crawling into bed for a restful sleep.

When I woke up for school the next morning, Suuiren was laughing at me.

"What's so funny, Suuiren?"

"Teeheehee! Someone got a hickey!"

I hopped out of bed and looked at myself in the mirror.

"What?!" I yelled. Suuiren was right! I then sighed. "Oh, Luka..."

"Elisa, are you ok?" Mom knocked on the door. "Breakfast is ready!"

"Suuiren, hide!" I hissed. Suuiren flew under my bed before I went to the door to open it. "Mom, um..." I showed her the hickey on my neck.

"Ooh, that Luka!" Mom snickered. "Markin' his girl, eh? Don't let your father see that. He'll flip his lid."

"Right." I nodded. I then held up a bracelet I made a few days ago. "Hey, Mom, today's Ms. Bustier's birthday, and I made her this bracelet as a thank you present for giving me a warm welcome to her class."

"Awww..." Mom put a hand over her heart. "That was very sweet of you, Elisa. Cover up that hickey and then come down and eat your breakfast."

I went to my dresser and put cover-up over the hickey before sitting down at the table for breakfast. After eating my cereal, I went upstairs to change into a light blue shirt and sparkling knee-length green skirt. After I put on my white heels, Suuiren hid in my purse.

"Have a good day at school, sweetie." Mom kissed my forehead. "And tell Ms. Bustier that I said happy birthday!"

"I will!" I called back as I went out the door.

* * *

 **Luka**

"Have a good day at school, you two!" Mine and Juleka's mother, Anarka, hollered to us.

"We will, Mom!" Juleka and I hollered back.

Today's Ms. Bustier's birthday, and my present to her is one of my Jagged Stone guitar picks.

Juleka also had a present for Ms. Bustier, but she refused to tell me what it was.

As we walked to school, I spotted Elisa in a light blue shirt and a sparkling green skirt.

"Juju, go on ahead. I'll catch up with you."

Juleka smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. "Heh, yeah, go spend time with your girlfriend."

I rolled my eyes at my sister as she skipped ahead. I snuck up on Elisa from behind and wrapped my arms around her.

"Hey!" Elisa cried out. She then relaxed. "Oh, it's you, Luka."

"That skirt brings out your eyes." I complimented her.

Elisa turned in my arms to face me. "Heh, thanks, Luka. I decided to take a break from wearing dresses today." She then placed a loving kiss on my lips, but I held it there for a few seconds.

"Really?" Elisa deadpanned. I smirked at her in response.

"So, Elisa, what did you get Ms. Bustier for her birthday?"

Elisa smiled. "I made her a bracelet. It doubles as a thank you gift for warmly welcoming me to her class. I reckon you're giving her one of your Jagged Stone guitar picks."

"You got that right."

Five minutes after we made it to school and entered the locker room, we saw Marinette rush in. Juleka was talking with Rose, who made Ms. Bustier a scrapbook.

"Hey!" Marinette greeted us.

"Hey, ma-ma-Marinette..." Elisa and I teased Marinette. Elisa and I looked at each other and laughed.

"Oh, no, Luka!" Marinette buried her face in her hands. "You roped _Elisa_ into this?!"

"Hey," Elisa put a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "We're just messing with you, that's all!"

Alya turned to Marinette. "Let me guess, you just finished your gift."

Marinette nodded. "I hope Ms. Bustier likes it."

Over in a corner, our redhead classmate, Nathanaël Kurtzberg, was showing Nino and Kim a picture he drew of Ms. Bustier as a superhero.

Mylène Haprèle was giving Ms. Bustier a braid of hair as a thank you present for her group breathing class the day Elisa joined the school. Elisa and I were the only ones who were actually meditating, and Kim had fallen on his side, making us laugh.

Soon, it was time for Ms. Bustier's class. We all put our presents on Ms. Bustier's desk.

"Happy Birthday, Ms. Bustier!" We all chorused.

"Oh, you're all so sweet!" Ms. Bustier gushed. She then took a look at Marinette's present. She had... a surprised look on her face? Marinette got up to examine the present.

"What...? I know you did this, Chloé Bourgeois!" Marinette spat.

Elisa growled and got ready to charge at Chloé, but I rubbed her back to calm her down. I was starting to see why everyone hated Chloé.

Max Kanté checked his phone. "A 99.56% certainty."

Alya gritted her teeth. "So uncool, Chloé."

"Seriously lame." Marinette added.

"Calm down." Ms. Bustier urged us. "We don't want to get upset on my birthday, now, do we?" She then took the present, a makeup bag with a crude stick figure of Marinette that Chloé had drawn. "Well, I think this present is wonderful." She opened the makeup bag and pulled out a tube of lip gloss. "It'll be my new cosmetics bag! Then I'll be able to think of both of you every time I use it."

"What?!" Marinette cried. "You're not gonna let her get away with this?!"

"That girl is worse than Hawk Moth!" Hissed Alya.

"At least half the city has gotten akumatized because of her!" Alix Kubdel added.

Everyone started talking at once, and Ms. Bustier clapped her hands to quiet the class.

"Students, please, calm down now!"

Everyone stopped talking.

"The classroom is not a place for insults and defamation! Marinette, would you come with me, please?"

"W-What?!" Marinette gasped.

As Ms. Bustier opened the door and Marinette left the room, Ms. Bustier turned to Alya.

"Alya. I'm relying on you to make sure things don't get out of hand while we're gone."

"Ok, Miss." Alya replied, flashing Marinette a sympathetic look.

Ms. Bustier then left the room. Everyone was quiet. For the next few minutes I just held Elisa and occasionally kissed her forehead.

"You know what you need, babe?"

"Yes, Luka?" Elisa looked up at me.

I smiled down at her lovingly. "A nice walk." I then got up, pulled Elisa to her feet, and headed to the door.

"Alya, Luka and I are going to take a short walk."

"That's fine, Elisa." Said Alya.

When we came upon Ms. Bustier and Marinette talking, we hid in a corner so they wouldn't see us.

"...because they have a lot of love to give. I'm counting on you."

"Yes, Ms. Bustier." Said Marinette.

Just then, we saw a purple butterfly get closer to Marinette and Ms. Bustier, who saw it and panicked, trying to shoo it away. Was that an akuma?

"An akuma! Oh no! Go away! I won't let you evilize one of my students!" Ms. Bustier cried out, trying to protect Marinette.

Well, looks like my suspicions have been confirmed.

Ms. Bustier threw her cosmetics bag at the akuma. The lipstick flew out and the akuma went into it. Ms. Bustier let go of Marinette and clutched her head, trying to fight the akuma.

"Don't give up! Think only positive thoughts!" Marinette urged.

Hawk Moth's overlay appeared on Ms. Bustier's face. "I am not going to listen to you! You can't force me to do evil!" She spat. It seemed Hawk Moth was able to talk to her telepathically. So that's what he did to Mom...

"Miss Bustier, please! Breathe deeply and focus!" Marinette pleaded. However, it was too late. Ms. Bustier gave in to the akuma. Marinette gasped and ran away.

Elisa turned to me. "Luka, Ms. Bustier's been akumatized! Go back to the classroom and warn the others!"

"I won't leave you, Elisa!" I pulled her into my arms. "If you get hurt, I won't forgive myself."

"I'll be fine, Luka." Elisa insisted.

"Ok." I pressed my lips to Elisa's. "Be safe. And make sure Marinette's ok!" I then ran back to Ms. Bustier's classroom to warn my classmates.

* * *

 **Elisa**

When Luka left, I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Suuiren flew out of my purse.

"Suuiren, Ms. Bustier's been akumatized, and I need to transform. Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

Suuiren entered my necklace, and I transformed into Crystal Cygne.

I then met up with Ladybug in the hallway.

"Crystal Cygne, we have to do something. Once Cat Noir gets here, we'll start the real fight."

We opened the door to Ms. Bustier's classroom. Ladybug wrapped her yoyo around the akumatized Ms. Bustier's hand. Sabrina looked like she was in a daze.

"Please, Ms. Bustier! You've gotta snap out of it!" Ladybug pleaded.

"I'm not Ms. Bustier anymore!" The akumatized Ms. Bustier spat, throwing Ladybug against the wall. "I am Zombizou!"

Ok, so now we know what her villain name is...

While Ladybug was distracted with Zombizou, Adrien held the door, and I helped Luka and the other students out. Sabrina was strangely limping and holding her chest.

"I...feel... It's suddenly gotten very warm in here. I don't know what's happening, I..."

Chloé walked up to Sabrina, stomping her foot.

"Unh! What is wrong with you?"

Sabrina turned to Chloé, eyes glowing purple. What happened?

"Chloé..."

Sabrina jumped on top of Chloé, trying to kiss her.

"Ugh!" Chloé groaned. "Get away from me!"

Adrien pulled Chloé from out under Sabrina, who crawled towards the other students.

"Kissou..." Said Sabrina, jumping on Mylène. She sounded like a zombie.

Ivan pulled Mylène away. "Mylène! Are you ok?"

"I feel...feverish... I can't..." Mylène's eyes turned purple. "Kissou..."

Adrien gasped. "They're contagious! Don't let yourselves get kissed!"

Ivan held Mylène and Sabrina back so I could guide everyone else away to safety. I ushered them into lockers one by one.

"Crystal Cygne," Luka took my hands. "Please tell me Elisa and Marinette are ok..."

"They're fine. They told Ladybug and I, so we came running as fast as we could." I lied. Part of me really wanted to tell Luka that I was Crystal Cygne, but now was not the right time. I also had to keep my civilian identity a secret from Ladybug and Cat Noir, who had not shown up yet.

"You care a lot about Elisa and Marinette, don't you?"

"Marinette is a very brave girl. And Elisa's the love of my life."

I then heard footsteps. "Luka, into the locker!"

Luka opened up a random locker and shut himself in it.

The locker room door opened, and Ladybug entered. "Anyone here?" She called out.

"Ladybug!" Chloé exclaimed, emerging from her locker.

Thinking it was a zombified student, Ladybug grabbed Chloé's hand and threw her over the shoulder and into a locker.

Seeing that it was Chloé, Ladybug gasped. "Oops! Sorry! Uh... Reflex."

"Ladybug?! Yeah! We're saved!" Alya came out of her hiding spot to hug my sidekick.

"Ladybug!" Nino emerged from his hiding spot. Rose, Juleka and Alix followed, and Luka came out of the locker he was hiding in.

"Are you all okay?" Ladybug asked.

Max and Kim left their hiding spots, while Alya looked behind her. "Looks like it."

However, there was one person missing. Adrien.

"Uh... Adrien? He still hasn't come out of his locker." Said Nino.

Ladybug opened the locker Adrien was in. He looked dazed.

"Kissy-boo..." Said Adrien sleepily. Ladybug slammed the locker shut. The other students cried out in anguish, alerting some zombified students outside. They ran toward the doors.

"Oh, man..." Alya groaned. "He must've gotten kissed on the stairs when he was saving Chloé."

Zombified students began to crowd outside the locker room.

"We need to head to the roof." Ladybug alerted us. She opened a window and hooked her yoyo onto something above, alerting zombified people outside.

Soon, everyone was on the roof except for Max, who Ladybug was currently helping up. At that moment, Mylène, Ivan and other zombified students broke into the locker room.

While Chloé and the others kept a lookout, Ladybug had a newscast on her yoyo, and was watching it with Alya and I.

"Yet again, it seems citizens of Paris are in great danger. Since this morning, a strange disease is spreading." The voice of Nadja Chamack came from the yoyo. Soon, Cat Noir showed up on the roof.

"Hey guys, I'm all for our French greetings, but let's hold off on the kisses for now, huh?" Cat Noir teased.

"I'm glad you're here, Cat Noir. Check this out." Ladybug showed Cat Noir the newscast.

"Hordes of kissing zombies are spreading throughout Paris! Let's go over to our Mayor, Mr. Bourgeois, live from City Hall." The newscast cut to Mr. Bourgeois in City Hall.

"We advise all Parisians to remain inside at this time." Mr. Bourgeois urged the citizens of Paris.

"Kissy-poo!" Officer Roger Raincomprix jumped on top of Mr. Bourgeois, knocking him and the podium down. The City Hall feed went static, and the footage cut back to Nadja in the studio.

"Mr. Mayor? Mr. Mayor?"

Chloé pushed Cat Noir away and looked at the newscast. "Daddy?!"

A Zombizou kiss floated toward Nadja, who tried to swat it away with her tablet. "It looks like we're having a slight technical issue." The kiss hit Nadja, who slumped. Zombizou herself appeared on the newscast.

" _I_ took care of your father, Chloé. Show yourself!"

Chloé freaked and ran away.

"Then, Ladybug, Cat Noir and Crystal Cygne? I'm coming for you." Zombizou kissed the camera lens, leaving a kiss mark. She then held up a now zombified Nadja. "Unless, of course, my sweethearts get hold of you first; because very soon, the whole city will be hot on your heels!"

As Zombizou laughed evilly, Ladybug ended the feed. Alix was glaring at Chloé, backing her toward the roof's edge. "Chloé! Hunh! Always Chloé! You only think about yourself!"

"I don't know why we don't just give them what they want." Alya sneered.

"Yeah! Good idea!" Nino agreed.

"Is it _my_ fault if I'm better than all of you?" Chloé spat.

"Sorry to disappoint you guys, but Chloé doesn't deserve to get hit any more than you." Ladybug intervened. " _And_ we need her as bait to lure Zombizou when the time is right."

"Uh...thanks?" Chloé said nervously.

Rose panicked, pointing at zombified students who were climbing the roof. "They're coming!"

"We've gotta evacuate!" Ladybug ordered. She saw a bus down on the street. "Over there! Cat Noir, do you know how to drive?"

Cat Noir smirked. "You should know the answer to that, M'Lady. I can do anything."

Ladybug shrugged. "Kitties first, then."

Twirling his baton, Cat Noir landed on top of the bus. He, Ladybug and I helped Rose, Juleka and Alya on top of the bus and into it. As Nino got ready to go, we were interrupted by zombified students.

"Hurry up!" Ladybug ordered, sending Nino down to Cat Noir. "Crystal Cygne, take Luka! Now!" Zombified students climbed onto the roof and ran toward us. Max shielded Chloé, and was attacked by two zombified students.

"Max!" Kim cried out. He then picked up Chloé in his arms, running away with her. "Come on, Chloé!"

Max was now zombified.

Kim helped Chloé onto Cat Noir's belt. "Play the hero as much as you like, Kim, but you won't be getting a kiss out of _me_."

"Just go, before I change my mind." Kim sent Chloé down Cat Noir's baton before the zombified students attacked him. Ladybug grabbed him and pulled him to safety.

"Hold on tight, Luka." I picked up Luka and flew with him to the bus.

Chloé continued sliding down the baton, and Cat Noir tried to catch her. "Slow down, Chloé!"

Chloé ended up hitting a sign. "Hello?! Who's gonna come and save me?"

Cat Noir jumped down from the bus and waved his arms. "Yoo-hoo! Kissy-kissy-kissy!"

The zombies who were trying to kiss Chloé were now advancing on Cat Noir.

Rose opened the doors and left the bus.

"Rose, no!" Juleka cried out.

"I can't just leave her by herself!" Rose insisted. She ran to catch Chloé, but she fell off the baton and onto the ground.

"Ow! Great..." Chloé held her shin in pain. She glared at Rose. "Now I've twisted my ankle because _you_ weren't fast enough!"

Rose picked up Chloé. A zombie grabbed her leg, but Ladybug saved her.

"Where's Kim?" I asked.

"He got kissed." Ladybug replied.

"Na-na-na-na-nah! Kissy-kissy-kissy!" Taunted Cat Noir. He then retrieved his baton. "Hurry up; we gotta go now." He started driving the bus.

Nino and Alya were holding onto each other, while I kept a close eye on Luka.

I then noticed a kiss mark on Rose's leg. "Oh, no..." I whispered. "They got Rose..."

A few minutes later, I was in the Eiffel Tower elevator with Ladybug, Cat Noir, Chloé and Luka. Rose, Juleka, Alix, Nino and Alya had all been zombified.

"It doesn't matter that we're the only ones left, Bugaboo, since you'll fix it all in the end anyway." Cat Noir said to Ladybug.

"Only the best remain." Chloé added.

When we got to the top, Cat Noir, Luka and I were attacked by zombies.

I tried to fight it, but everything went black.

When I came to, Ladybug had captured the akuma and purified it. Ms. Bustier was back to normal.

"Pound it!" Mine, Ladybug and Cat Noir's fists met in the middle.

"Ladybug?! Cat Noir? Crystal Cygne? What on earth -" Ms. Bustier gasped. "The akuma overtook me, oh no, I...I let my negative emotions get the upper hand, how terrible! ...I'm terrible."

"That's not true!" Said Ladybug. "It wasn't your fault." She put a hand on Ms. Bustier's shoulder. "Hawk Moth is the one to blame."

"But I hurt a lot of people..." Ms. Bustier hung her head in shame.

"No..." We turned and saw Chloé standing close by. "I did... I forgot your birthday, once again. And when I saw everyone had prepared a gift for you, I totally lost it. Because I, too, would've liked to offer you something. I'm sorry, Miss Bustier."

I gasped, putting a hand to my mouth. Was Chloé... being nice?!

Ms. Bustier smiled. "Thank you, Chloé. Those words are the best possible gift you could ever give me." She then gave Chloé a hug. Chloé hugged her back.

Ladybug, Cat Noir and I then left to detransform. Suuiren hid in my purse, and I left my hiding spot.

"Elisa!" Luka ran over to me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me against him. "You had me so worried..." He buried his face in my neck and took in the scent of my pink ice perfume. I inhaled his scent of the ocean.

I hugged him back. "Luka, I'm all right."

He looked down at me with his zircon eyes. I wanted to look nowhere but there.

"Don't scare me like that again..."

"I can't make any promises, Luka."

As much as I wanted to kiss Luka during the battle against Zombizou, I couldn't reveal my identity to anyone, _especially_ Ladybug and Cat Noir. But now I could do it.

As if Luka sensed my thoughts, he pressed his lips down on mine.

I missed everything about Luka: his eyes, his kiss, his face, his voice, and his strong arms to hold me and hide me away. But now, they were all there.

"Let's go tell your parents that you're ok." Luka said when we pulled back.

I walked home hand in hand with Luka. When I got home, I was pulled into a bear hug by my parents.

"Elisa, I was so worried..." Dad mumbled.

"We're so glad you're safe." Mom added.

After he and Mom let go of me, Dad out a hand on Luka's shoulder. "Thank you, Luka, for bringing Elisa home safe and sound."

Luka nodded. "You're welcome, Mr. Krelborn-Fulquard."

Dad laughed. "Young man, you've earned my respect. Please call me Seymour." A glare formed on his face. "But if you ever hurt my little girl..."

"Dad!" I interrupted him. "Luka loves me. He would never hurt me."

"Luka," Said Mom, turning to my boyfriend. "Should an akuma attack happen while Elisa is out, Seymour and I trust you to protect her and escort her home."

"I will, Mrs. Kr- I mean Audrey."

* * *

 **Luka**

The next day at school, Chloé was sneering at Alya.

"Me? You want _me_ to apologize to the entire class? Ridiculous! They should be thanking me for saving everybody."

Alya got in Chloé's face. "I happen to have several accounts of what went down, including my own, and they don't exactly match your version."

Marinette came up and put an arm on Alya's shoulder, looking at Chloé. "I heard you helped Ladybug and saved Miss Bustier! Awesome! There really _is_ a heart beating in there after all. Sorry I said there wasn't." She then pushed Alya away.

I turned to look at my girlfriend. "Elisa, Chloé brought Ms. Bustier a present."

"Awww..." Elisa cooed. "That's very sweet of her."

I then turned to Elisa. "Babe, we're going to a movie later on today. Want to come with?"

Elisa smiled. "I'm sure my parents will say yes, so sure!"

Ms. Bustier then entered the classroom. "'Morning, everyone!"

"'Morning, Miss Bustier!" We all said.

"Glad to see you all! As usual, we'll start the day by giving a nice compliment to your neighbor."

Elisa and I exchanged a smile. It would take some time, but eventually, Chloé would be nicer to everyone.


	7. Luka Finds Out

__Ladybug__ ****(Ladybug finishing her transformation)****

 _ _Cat Noir__ ****(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)****

 _ _Crystal Cygne__ ****(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)****

 _ _Cottontail__ ****(Cottontail finishing her transformation)****

 _ _We've been preparing__ ****(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)****

 _ _Sharing__ ****(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)****

 _ _Training__ ****(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)****

 _ _Studying A to Z__ ****(Elisa raising her hand in class)****

 _ _Bonding__ ****(Elisa and Sakura hugging)****

 _ _Battling__ ****(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)****

 _ _Laughing__ ** **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)****

 _ _Gettin' crazy, you and me__ ****(Luka kissing Elisa)****

 _ _'Cause it's coming soon__ ****(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)****

 _ _When we all meet our destiny__ ****(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)****

 _ _Under the Parisian moon__ ****(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)****

 _ _Miraculous!__

* * *

 ** **Normal POV****

It was free period, the last period of the day. The students were hanging out in study hall either doing homework or talking. Elisa was hanging out with Nathaniel and the other boys, laughing at their jokes and comments.

Luka did not like this one bit. Elisa was __his__ girl!

He thought back to his and Elisa's first date and their moonlight waltz. The memory made him smile.

He did have feelings for Marinette when they first met, but when Elisa entered the picture, they went away completely.

* * *

 **Elisa**

"Oh, Nathan, that is _very_ funny!" I laughed at his latest drawing that depicted Ladybug, Cat Noir, and me as Crystal Cygne beating Hawk Moth to a pulp and snatching his Miraculous.

I then turned to see Luka in a corner. Was he ok? I walked over to him, my white heels clicking on the marble floor.

"Luka, are you ok?"

He turned around and saw me with concern in my eyes.

"Why aren't you over there with everyone else?" I asked.

Luka's annoyed face morphed into a gentle smile. He curled his arms around my waist and pulled me into his muscular chest.

"Now that you're in my arms, I'm all right." Luka smirked.

I gasped at the seductive tone in his voice, burying my face in his chest.

"Luka, quit it! Not only will people stare, but Juleka and the girls will tease us to no end!" I sighed, dreading the laughs we'd get from Marinette and her friends.

"I just don't like the way the other boys look at you. I want them to see that you're my princess." Luka admitted.

"Hey," I rested my head on his chest and placed my hand next to my ear, pressed over his heart, listening to its strong beat. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

We then heard Nino shout from the other side of the room. "Yeah, too bad, Max! Elisa's taken!"

"Go sit on a cactus!" Max shouted back.

Luka groaned in annoyance. "Told you."

"Well, Nathaniel was showing me a drawing of Ladybug, Cat Noir and Crystal Cygne defeating Hawk Moth." I snickered, remembering how hilarious it looked. "It showed them beating him to a pulp and nabbing his Miraculous."

Luka snickered with me. "I would love to see that."

"You know," I looked up into Luka's zircon eyes. "When I was a little girl, I would watch this show called Howdy Doody. It would always air at sunset. Mom introduced me to that show."

At that moment, the bell rang. As everyone left the school, animals ran by, making the students flee in terror.

I gasped, pulling Luka along and taking him into an abandoned warehouse. After shutting the doors, I put my hand on my boyfriend's shoulder.

"Luka, what I'm about to divulge to you is something no one is supposed to know. Promise me you can keep this secret."

"I will." Luka nodded.

I pulled out my flute from my backpack, as well as a spare. I handed the spare flute to Luka.

"Luka, do you know how to play the flute?"

"A little." Luka replied.

"We're going to call Crystal Cygne."

Luka and I raised the flutes to our mouths and played. One by one, slowly, the five feathers on my necklace started to glow.

"Elisa, what's happening?" Luka asked, pointing at my necklace.

"I don't know..." I pretended to play dumb.

Suuiren came out of my purse and entered my necklace. I was surrounded by a brilliant white light. After a few seconds, the light faded, and I was Crystal Cygne. I flew down and hovered before Luka, who had the biggest smile on his face I've ever seen.

"Elisa... You're so beautiful! But I had no idea that... You were..."

"The thing is, Luka, no one was supposed to know." I landed in front of Luka and put a hand to his cheek gently. "Are you _sure_ you can keep my secret?"

Luka pulled me tightly against him, slamming his lips against mine. We pulled back, and he rested his forehead against my own. "Elisa, I promise to keep your secret no matter what happens."

I smiled gratefully. "Thank you..." Our lips met once more, and we separated after seven seconds.

"Elisa, now that I know you and Crystal Cygne are one and the same, some of my worry has been alleviated. But still, knowing that my girlfriend is a superhero brings new worries. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Luka, we've been over this." I gently reminded him. "I know what I'm doing, and I have Ladybug and Cat Noir by my side."

Luka gasped. "Ladybug and Cat Noir! That's right! Elisa, I mean Crystal Cygne, go meet up with them. But please be careful." He pecked my lips before letting me go.

I raced out of the warehouse and took flight, searching for my teammates. I eventually found them on the roof of a building with... a new face? It was a female, and she was a fox-themed superhero.

"Ah, here she is!" Ladybug beamed. "This is Crystal Cygne. Meet Rena Rouge. She's going to help us in extremely difficult missions like this."

I shook Rena Rouge's hand. "Welcome to the team, Rena! So, what's going on?"

"A bunch of animals have escaped from the zoo." Ladybug explained. "We need to round them up. Here's the plan. Cat Noir will provoke the panthers into chasing him. Rena Rouge, when I give you the signal, you're going to use your Mirage. Crystal Cygne, you use your Swan Song to distract the other animals. As for me, I'll shut the vehicle doors when the animals get in. Got it?"

"Got it!" Cat Noir, Rena Rouge and I raised our fists into the air.

"And... Go!"

When Ladybug said that, we took off leaping across buildings, flying in my case.

Cat Noir provoked the panthers into chasing him. I hovered over a couple of gorillas. I then waved my scepter in a music note pattern, making it glow.

"Swan Song!" I called out. After saying that, I sang a few hypnotizing notes into my scepter like it was a microphone. The gorillas and other animals, except for the panthers chasing Cat Noir, turned their attention to me. Knowing I had thirty seconds before the effects wore off, I lured them into a van. Ladybug then shut the doors.

I then turned my attention to Cat Noir, who was still leading the panthers on a wild goose chase.

"Come on, guys, you wouldn't eat one of your cousins, would ya?" Joked Cat Noir.

Rena Rouge jumped along roofs to a vantage point above the street. She blew her flute and created an illusion of meat pieces that littered the street.

Cat Noir gestured to the illusionary meat. "How about some tasty chops, instead?" He leaped away with his staff.

One of the panthers stepped on a piece of meat, making it disappear. Both panthers followed the trail of vanishing meat until it lead them into a nearby van. Ladybug shut the doors, trapping the panthers inside.

Onlookers cheered as the four superheroes stood on the roof. Cat Noir held out his fist. "Pound i-" He looked back at Ladybug and Rena Rouge, who were running away. "Hey, where're you going?"

"Rena's about to transform back." Ladybug explained.

Cat Noir glared. "So _you're_ allowed to know her true identity, but Crystal and I are _not_?"

"Because _I_ have to get her Miraculous back."

"So what's my role, then? The guy who's always left in the dark? What else are you hiding from us?"

Rena Rouge's Miraculous flashed. She pointed to it. "We really gotta jam."

"Ok," Said Ladybug. "I'll talk to him about it."

Cat Noir and I exchanged confused looks. "Him? Who's him?" We said simultaneously.

"Uh..." Ladybug stuttered. "When the time is right, guys, I promise."

With that, Ladybug and Rena Rouge left.

Cat Noir crossed his arms. "I hate secrets."

I sighed. "Me too, Cat Noir."

We sat down on the roof together. "Crystal, why is Ladybug doing this to me?"

I put a soothing hand on his shoulder. "I'm not sure. Maybe it's something she knows that _you're_ not ready to know."

Suddenly, my Miraculous flashed. "I wish I could stay and chat, but I must beat."

I flew up into the air and looked for Luka. He was about to pass the entrance to an alley. I flew into the alleyway and whistled. Luka turned and saw me. I gestured to the alley before running in.

Just as Luka rounded the corner, I transformed back. I ran into his arms and he pulled me in for a deep kiss.

"I'm so happy you're all right, Elisa."

"Luka, I told you I would be fine." I suddenly perked up. "Oh, right! The movie!"

By the time we arrived at the theater, Marinette had arrived as well. Alya was also present.

"Coming!" Marinette panted. "Sorry, I was -"

"No time to explain." Alya cut her off. "Come on!" She grabbed Marinette by the arm and pulled her into the theater. Luka and I followed suit.

"Hi!" Rose called out to us. She and several others, including Nino, were waving us over. We sat down in our seats. Just as the movie started, people in front of us were getting out of their seats and running out of the theater.

"What's going on?" Marinette asked.

"I don't know." I shrugged. Only mere seconds later, I got my answer. Water rushed under the seats where we were sitting. Just what was happening?

Alya was also clueless. "Okay, who left the faucet running?"

Marinette pointed to an open doorway with stairs going up. "The stairs! Quick!"

We all made a beeline for the stairs.

"Hurry up!" I cried out.

Marinette and Alya ushered stragglers while Luka and I went on ahead with Kim and the others.

Roughly a minute later, Marinette and Alya joined us on the roof. Why was Paris flooded? I hope Mom and Dad are all right...

"My circuits are sensitive to water." Whined Markov, Max's robot friend.

Kim, however, didn't seem bothered. He jumped into the water like it was a swimming pool. He tried to beckon everyone to join him.

"Come on, guys! I can teach you to swim in two seconds flat, Markov. You just put your arms like this, then you push your legs, and it's kind of like being a frog, you see. In fact, it helps to think as a frog, too, you know -"

While Kim was talking, I saw a fin approaching. He stopped when we all saw a pink mermaid villain leap out of the water, grab Kim and go underwater with him.

"Kim!" Max cried out frantically.

Alya, Alix, Luka and I ran to one side of the roof, while Rose and the others ran to the other side.

"Where is he? Can you see him?" Alya looked in another direction, seeing Marinette paddling away in a garbage bin, using a shovel as an oar. "Marinette, what are you doing?"

"Um..." Said Marinette. "I'm gonna go get help." She accidentally tipped the bin over and fell in the water, only to pop up just fine. "I'm fine." She got back into the bin and paddled out of sight.

"Ok, so..." Alix deadpanned. "I guess we're saved, then?"

It was only five minutes before Ladybug came back. "Elisa, I need to talk to you in private." She pulled me aside and out of earshot of Luka and the others.

"Ladybug, what's up?"

"Elisa, this is very important."

I started to panic. "Ladybug, I'll go get Crystal Cygne, I'll think of something -"

Ladybug held up a finger to silence me. "Elisa, if you see Crystal Cygne, please tell her that this is mine and Cat Noir's fight alone. This involves something she is not yet ready to know."

"But Ladybug -"

"Trust me."

I sighed. "Ok."

* * *

 **Luka**

An hour went by before Ladybug and Cat Noir defeated the new villain. Paris was no longer flooded. Elisa had told me that this fight was too dangerous for Crystal Cygne.

"Well, love, looks like Ladybug and Cat Noir did it again." I kissed Elisa's lips.

Elisa leaned over to whisper in my ear, "Ladybug told me there's something I'm not yet ready to know."

I held out my arm to my girlfriend. "Allow me to escort you home, Elisa."

Elisa giggled and looped her arm through mine. "You may."

* * *

 **Ondine**

I was overjoyed. Kim asked me out on a date! To the movies!

After the movie was over, Kim took me to an isolated alleyway. He looked at me with a glimmer of affection in his gray eyes. This was our first date, and it had been a day since I was 'akumatized' by this Hawk Moth villain. Kim had told me about Hawk Moth, and how he wanted to nab the Miraculouses that Ladybug, Cat Noir and new hero Crystal Cygne possess.

"Kim, that movie was so romantic! I loved it!"

Kim's muscular arm circled around my waist, pulling me into his strong chest. I looked up at him, and he seemed to have an apologetic expression on his face.

"Ondine, I was such a doofus that I didn't know you liked me. I'm sorry about that. I just wanted to say that I have feelings for you too."

I grinned like an idiot. "I'm so happy!"

Kim pecked my cheek. "We should go to the park sometime."

I nodded in agreement. "We should."

He offered his arm to me. "Shall we?"

I looped my arm through his. "We shall."

What a gentleman Kim is. He escorted me home and kissed my hand. I'm lucky to date a guy like him.

* * *

 **Elisa**

The sun had set and the moon and stars were out. I stood on my balcony and stared out at the Eiffel Tower. It had been a day since the Syren incident. What was Ladybug keeping from me? What did she mean by 'something I'm not yet ready to know'?"

Suuiren sat on the palm of my hand. "Something on your mind, Elisa?"

"I don't get it, Suuiren. What is Ladybug keeping from me?"

"Elisa, have you heard the expression 'boil the water before you put the noodles in'?"

"No." I replied. "I had never heard that expression before."

Suuiren giggled. "Basically, it means that there is a time and place for everything."

I sighed. Suuiren was right. I guess I wasn't ready to know.

Someone came up from behind and wrapped their arms around my waist. I looked down and saw the familiar sleeves of a blue and black jacket.

"Luka? What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to come over and see my girl. Mom said I can stay the night here, and I already talked to your parents."

My heart started beating faster. I've never shared a bed with a guy before, and it would be the first time.

Suuiren flew up in front of our faces. She was ready to introduce herself to Luka.

"Who's this little cutie?"

"This is Suuiren. She's my kwami. She helps me transform into Crystal Cygne." I explained.

Suuiren studied Luka for a bit before licking his face affectionately.

"Awww..." I cooed. "She likes you. Ok, now, Suuiren. It's bedtime."

Suuiren flew back into my room to sleep in the makeshift bed I made for her.

"Luka, about earlier today at school... I don't mind you acting so possessive over me, but not in front of the others, _especially_ Chloé. You know how mean she is."

Luka tightened his grip on me, and I leaned back into his embrace. "I'm used to mean people like Chloé, but I understand where you're coming from, Elisa." He leaned down to kiss my neck. "But when I saw you talking with Nathaniel, I thought he was going to try something with you."

"Luka," I slid my hands down his arms, feeling his muscles under my touch. "Nathaniel and I are just friends. You're the only boy I ever love. You're mine, and I'm yours."

Luka released me, only to loop my arm over his head as if we were doing the waltz again. He pulled me tightly into him, slamming his lips down on mine. I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck, clinging onto him like a lifeline.

We made out for close to five minutes before we were interrupted by a little giggle. We separated and saw Suuiren hovering before us, laughing her little head off.

I sighed. "Suuiren, go back to bed."

When my swan kwami was in bed, asleep, we climbed into my bed together.

"Elisa?" Luka murmured, pulling me into his arms again.

"Yes?"

"Do you think Marinette is Ladybug?"

"I don't know. Probably not. Even if she was Ladybug, she would probably deny it, as I would if anyone said I was Crystal Cygne. And we can't reveal our identities to anyone, not even each other. I took a great risk revealing my identity to you. I can only imagine what would happen if you were akumatized." A tear slipped down my cheek.

"Elisa," Luka kissed the tear away before kissing my lips. "Even if I _was_ akumatized, I would never tell Hawk Moth who you are, even if he tried to inflict the greatest pain on me. And yes, I know that Ms. Bustier tried to fight it, but you know what they say."

I smiled and said with Luka, "'Love conquers evil.'"

"Hey, Elisa, did you have any close friends in Moscow?"

I laid my head down on his chest. "Sakura Morris. We knew one another since we were toddlers. She and her parents came to Russia after a tsunami destroyed their home in Japan."

"Mom told me what tsunamis are capable of. I tend to wonder how my father is doing and where he is. Every time Juleka and I ask about him, Mom says that we don't mention him."

I let out a yawn before I could say anything. Luka pecked my lips. "I love you."

"I know." I murmured sleepily, letting the rhythm of his heartbeat send me into my dreams.

* * *

 **Sakura**

Nighttime had fallen. I was getting ready for bed. I looked out the window and saw the full moon, the stars nearby. One of them shone brighter than the rest.

"Evening Star, I have a wish. I want to leave Russia and be with my best friend again. Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard is my true best friend. She's the only one who wants to be friends with me for who I am. Not for fame, money or power. Please bless my wish, Gods of Japan..."

I shut my window and went downstairs to see my father in his office.

"I can tell how you're feeling, Sakura." Dad got up from his chair to talk to me. "You miss Elisa, don't you?"

I nodded. "Yes, Dad. I miss her very much."

Dad put a hand on my shoulder. "Sakura, I have something to give you." He pulled out a sword and handed it to me. "You are to be the next Generation of Japanese royalty. This katana is yours. Use it well and responsibly."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Your ancestors fought in the Sengoku era. However, the Oda bloodline has completely died out. However, in World War 2, your grandfather, my dad, pulled what was declared to be one of the greatest stunts ever. He betrayed the Axis and fought on the United States' side."

"Grandpa Hideki really did that?"

"Yes. Your grandfather had a bright future ahead of him."

I then asked the question that was on my mind. "Dad, could we please move to Paris?"

Dad laughed and patted my shoulder. "I'll talk to your mother about that."

I then went back upstairs to change into my nightgown. I put my katana in my closet before pulling out my blue nightdress. However, something in the corner caught my eye. There was a suspicious looking box on my dresser that had a strange symbol on it. Was it Chinese?

"It's probably Chinese..." I said to myself. I opened the box, only to be nearly blinded by this white light. When it faded, a tiny rabbit-like creature was hovering before me.

"Hello, Sakura!" Said the rabbit-like creature. "I am Fluff, and I'm your kwami!"

"Kwami?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I heard your wish, and I was sent to you. There's danger in Paris."

"Danger?" I asked.

Fluff then told me about this supervillain known as Hawk Moth. He had intentions to nab the Miraculouses of Ladybug, Cat Noir and newcomer Crystal Cygne for unknown reasons.

"So you're saying that I get to be a superhero?" I squealed in delight.

"Yes, you do, but there is something I must tell you. Nobody must know your secret identity, _especially_ Ladybug and the others."

I nodded in understanding. "Ok."

I heard a knock on the door. Mom's voice came from the other side. "Sakura, sweetie, did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes, Mom!" I called back.

"Good night! Sweet dreams, Princess!"

"Love you, Mom!"

I changed into my nightdress, climbed into bed, and fell asleep, Fluff laying next to me on a little pillow.

The next morning, I woke up hearing my alarm clock go off. I shut it off and told Fluff to hide in my closet. I then walked downstairs to eat my breakfast. I heard Dad's voice from the parlor. "Sakura, your mother and I want to see you!"

I went into the parlor with my bacon and sat with my parents.

"Sweetie, we've decided to leave Russia and get a better house in Paris!"

The biggest grin ever morphed onto my face before I squealed, hugging my parents. "OMG, OMG, OMG! Thank you!" I then raised my eyebrows. "When are we moving?"

"Tomorrow." Dad replied.

I was so excited! I'm looking forward to seeing Elisa again.


	8. Reunion

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 **Elisa**

I woke up with Luka's arms around me. Heh, even in his sleep, he doesn't want to let go of me. I do admit, it's so sweet.

"Luka, time to wake up, love." I pecked his lips.

Luka tightened his grip on me. "Stay. Want to hold you."

That was adorable. Luka can be very sweet. It makes me happy knowing we have many things in common, such as our love of music. He's a guitarist, and I'm a flutist.

"Luka, as much as I want to stay in bed with you too, we have to get up."

We then heard a gigantic explosion from outside. Luka and I got up, ran onto the balcony and got the biggest surprise. A girl made of lava was throwing magma balls and terrorizing the citizens.

Luka pulled me back into my room and shut the balcony doors. "That looks like an akuma! Elisa, I reckon you know what that means."

I nodded. "Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

Suuiren went into my Miraculous, and I transformed into Crystal Cygne.

"Be safe, my love." Luka kissed me.

"I will."

I made sure no one outside was in my line of sight before opening the balcony doors and flying off.

When I joined up with Ladybug and Cat Noir, they were fighting the firey villain.

"Hey!" I snapped. "Cease fire! Who are you anyway?"

"I am Lava Girl! My next target is... Your Miraculous!"

I groaned in annoyance. "Stupid Hawk Moth..." I turned to my teammates. "Any idea where the akuma might be?"

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at Lava Girl. "Hmmm... It's gotta be in her hairclip."

I needed to create a diversion so Ladybug could use her Lucky Charm. I perked up. I had an idea.

"Hey, Hothead!" I waved my scepter in the air tauntingly. "Want my Miraculous? Come and get me first!"

While Lava Girl was occupied with me, Ladybug used her Lucky Charm, which created a water gun.

I watched as Ladybug disoriented Lava Girl with the water gun, and Cat Noir snatched the hairclip and used his Cataclysm on it. Ladybug then captured and purified the akuma.

"Pound it!" Our fists met in the middle.

"What happened?" Asked a lilac haired girl with dazzling blue eyes. Wait... She looks familiar. Oh! Now I recognize her! It's Lily Robinson, a girl who Sakura and I played with during our childhood! I really wanted to hug her, but my identity must be kept secret.

"Hawk Moth akumatized you." Ladybug explained. "But you're ok now."

Cat Noir's ring beeped. "I've gotta scat. See you later, Crystal. And I'll see you around as well, My Lady."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "You too, Kitty. I'll see you around, Crystal."

I nodded. "You too." The three of us went our separate ways.

When I returned to my room and detransformed, Luka had the TV on, and was waiting for me to return home safe.

"Luka, I'm back."

Luka hopped off the bed and kissed my cheek and then my lips.

"What was the villain called, Elisa?"

"Lava Girl." I replied. I then gasped, remembering who had been akumatized. "But it turns out, the akuma victim was Lily Robinson, an old friend of mine and Sakura's! When we were children, the three of us would play together almost every day."

Luka cupped my cheek. "Well, why don't you go and see her?"

I sighed. "I will, but there's something you should know. These akumas are starting to get to me. I need a break for once."

Luka looked into my emerald eyes with a loving smile. "I know what will help you."

"What would that be?"

Luka held out his hand. "Meditate with me."

I smiled, instantly knowing that would make me feel better. I took hold of Luka's hand and sat on my bed with him.

I knew what to do, having done this with Suuiren once and several times when I was a little girl.

The two of us sat cross legged and tightened our grip on each other's hands a little bit. We closed our eyes and breathed deeply, clearing our minds of all negative energy.

After roughly ten minutes, we opened our eyes, feeling more refreshed and calm.

Suddenly, Luka got a text on his phone. It was from his mother.

"Elisa, Mom wants me home. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too, my love."

When Luka took off, I went downstairs to tell my parents I was going for a walk. I intended to go and see Lily.

"Hello, Crystal Cygne."

I gasped and turned around, only to see... Hold up! It's the same old man I saved from falling when I first arrived in Paris! But how did he know my secret identity?!

"How do you...?"

"Come with me, and I will tell you everything."

I walked with the old man to an isolated building. It said 'Wang Fu's Massage Shop'.

When we were alone in the building, a small turtle kwami emerged from a gramophone.

"Elisa, this is Master Fu." Said the turtle kwami. "He's the last Guardian of the Miraculous."

"This is my kwami, Wayzz." Master Fu introduced me to Wayzz. "Please sit down."

"Are you the one who brought my Miraculous to me?"

Master Fu nodded. "I did. When you showed me your kindness and gave me a piece of Russian chocolate, I knew I found the right person for the Swan Miraculous." His face turned grim. "However, this is not the only reason why I brought you here. Come with me."

I followed Master Fu into the back of the Massage Shop. He brought over a tray of seven small glass bottles, each containing a different colored liquid.

"When a kwami is fed a certain blend of ingredients, he or she can grant special powers. For example, the blue potion can give you ice abilities, and the green potion can give you the ability to swim and breathe underwater. But kwamis are forbidden to know the recipes, should they be captured by a villain like Hawk Moth."

I nodded. "Ok."

"Do you have a special hiding place for the potions, Elisa?"

"A box with a lock that can be opened by a special key. I also have a hiding place for the key; my purse."

Master Fu gave me a friendly smile. "That's good. You can go back home now. I'll come and find you if I need to see you again."

"Ok." I let Suuiren out of my purse and put the potion bottles inside.

"Hello, Wayzz. Nice to see you again!" Suuiren gave Wayzz a hug.

"You too, Suuiren."

Suuiren dove back in my purse.

When I left the Massage Shop, I realized how late it was getting.

"Mom and Dad are going to want me back home. Oh well. I'll see Lily tomorrow."

When I returned home, I ate dinner with my parents. I then went up to my room to unlock my secret box. I put the potion bottles inside before closing the box and locking it. I then put the key in my purse.

I went to bed that night, unaware that tomorrow would be very eventful.

* * *

 **Sakura**

Today is the day. I'm finally moving to Paris with Mom and Dad!

"Sakura, as much as I want to meet your parents, your identity must be kept secret. On the other hand, part of your powers involve summoning magical boys and girls, but only in extreme emergencies. And when it is necessary, you can call on special weapons and new forms."

"Wow! I'm a magical girl!" I struck a Sailor Moon pose.

Fluff laughed. "Oh, Sakura, you are so funny!"

I looked at my phone, realizing what time it was. "Fluff, get in my purse. We have a plane to catch."

Fluff dove into my purse. "Sakura, don't forget your Miraculous!"

I pulled out a pink and blue anklet with a bunny face from the red box. I then put the box in my purse and put on the anklet.

"Sakura, sweetie, we have to go!" Dad called to me.

"Coming, Dad!" I replied, opening the door and looking at my room for the last time.

I shut the door and went downstairs to meet up with my parents.

"Are you ready to start your new life in France?"

I smiled the biggest smile in my life. "You bet, Mom! I've been dying to see Elisa again."

After taking one last look at our home, we went to the airport, got through security, and boarded the plane.

As usual, we got first class seats, because my father is extremely famous and wealthy. However, this time around, we got it for free.

The plane took off, and I pulled out my phone. I put on an episode of _Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Strikers._

Since I had my own enclosed space, Fluff was allowed to come out.

"Hey, Fluff, want to watch this with me?"

"Sure!" Fluff sat on my head. She then pointed to a character she apparently recognized. "I know them!"

"Fluff, you know Caro, Erio, Teana and Subaru? I thought they were entirely fictional!"

Fluff shook her head. "Nope. I've met all the magical boys and girls you could ever think of."

The rabbit kwami was then interrupted by a knock on the door. Fluff hid in my purse, and the flight attendant entered with a box of mochi. "Thank you for flying with us."

I took the box with a nod. "Thank you, Miss."

"Anytime." The flight attendant closed the door.

Fluff caught a whiff of the mochi, and flew out of my purse. "Fluff, you love mochi?"

"Any type of it. I'm not picky like Plagg."

"Plagg? Who is this Plagg you speak of?"

"Remember two nights ago, how I told you about Ladybug, Cat Noir and Crystal Cygne?"

I flashed a smile at my kwami. "Yes."

"They have kwamis too. Ladybug's is Tikki, Cat Noir's is Plagg, and Crystal Cygne's is Suuiren. Anyway, these three kwamis have different personalities. Tikki is very nice, Suuiren is calm, and Plagg can sometimes be a jerk. He's got this obsession with a cheese called Camembert. Last time I saw him, we had a nasty fight. He thought I was crazy when I told him I had met the magical boys and girls. Ever since Hawk Moth began wreaking havoc, I haven't seen Plagg or Tikki at all. Suuiren left a little more than a week ago. It was when you made your wish that Master Fu sent me to you, all the way from the stars."

"Um..." I tapped my chin. "Who's Master Fu?"

"You'll meet him when the time is right."

Two hours later, we landed at the airport in Paris. I could see the news crew and paparazzi everywhere I looked.

The other passengers departed the plane first. Mom, Dad and I were the last to go.

The news crew surrounded my father and asked him questions.

"Why did you grace us with your family's presence?"

"Well, my daughter wanted to start attending a public school, and a dear friend of hers also moved here recently." Dad answered.

"Does your daughter know any self-defense techniques?"

"When we lived in Moscow, Sakura would train with the monks in Asia. She'd go there every summer. Sort of like a summer camp."

André Bourgeois, the mayor of Paris, helped shoo the reporters away. Beside him was a blonde girl about my age. I could tell she was a spoiled brat. But I'm used to spoiled brats. I'm nicer.

Mayor Bourgeois turned to the girl. "Chloé, come over and say hello!"

The girl, Chloé, joined her father.

"Sakura, Mr. and Mrs. Morris, meet my daughter, Chloé."

"Hi." I waved to Chloé.

"Oh, good. You speak English." Chloé said.

"Now, now, Chloé. Is that the way to treat our new guests?" Mayor Bourgeois gently reprimanded Chloé.

"How well do you drive in China?" Chloé questioned.

"Excuse me," Said my father. "We are not Chinese. We are Japanese."

"What's the difference?" Chloé spat.

Mayor Bourgeois stepped in between Chloé and my family. "Chloé, what did I say about making newcomers feel welcome?"

Chloé sighed. "All right then. Welcome to Paris. I hope you like it."

When Mayor Bourgeois and Chloé were out of earshot, Dad turned to Mom.

"Don't her parents teach her any manners? Heck, she doesn't even know the difference between Japanese people and Chinese people."

It took us five minutes to get on the monorail and into the airport building. When I saw the sign for a bathroom, I turned to my parents.

"Mom, Dad, I need to cry in the bathroom."

Dad patted my shoulder. "It's ok to cry, Sakura."

I ran into a private bathroom, shut and locked the door, and cried in front of the toilet.

"Sakura?" Fluff sat on my shoulder. "What's wrong? Is it that Chloé girl?"

"Yes." I sobbed. "It's Chloé this and Chloé that! She doesn't even know how to be nice!"

"I understand how hard it is to contain your emotions. They build up and build up until you can't keep it in anymore."

I pulled out a paper towel and blew my nose. "Thank you for the pep talk, Fluff. I'm glad you're my kwami."

Two more hours passed, and we just got settled into the best looking mansion ever! It was a cross between a temple and a castle! It even has a private hot spring! The movers even brought all the furniture and other things all in one day.

Right now, Fluff and I were up in my new room. It was much bigger than my room in my old home.

"So, I never mentioned this two nights ago, but kwamis must eat to regain their energy. For example, Tikki likes cookies, Plagg likes Camembert, and Suuiren likes honeysuckles. I like mochi! Any type of flavor! Heh, I believe I mentioned that to you."

I winked. "Yes, you did. So, do I have a special weapon when I transform?"

"Yes. You have a katana. You can also use wish cards when the situation calls for it. However, they're so powerful that only one per battle can be used. In extremely hard circumstances, the maximum number of cards is ten."

"What will my superhero name be?"

"Cottontail. And don't forget your special power, Starstruck. When you use it, you dash toward your enemy with your katana, and the closer you get, the more stars you get. That'll make your attack more powerful. It'll temporarily disorient your enemy, maybe even weaken your enemy if you're lucky."

"So... What do I say to transform?"

"You say 'Fluff, hop to it!'"

I took a deep breath and said "Fluff, hop to it!"

Fluff went into my anklet, and I transformed into Cottontail. My outfit was a pink dress with white ruffles on the sleeves, and blue tights with white stars. My hair was black and white with blue streaks, and my mask was white. My green flats were replaced with short heels: one pink and one blue. I had white bunny ears, and boy did I look good.

Wait, what am I hearing? I heard a scream and someone say "Judgement Day is here!"

"Tell them about Judgement Day, Terminator Girl!" Said another voice.

I looked out my window and gasped at what I saw. I saw a robotic teenager point a shotgun at a random person. I then saw a shady looking usher with movie tapes all over the body. He threw a ticket at another random person, turning him into a taller version of the killer doll Chucky.

It looks like this villain can turn people into movie characters, mostly villains! Well, time for my first battle!

I opened the window, jumped down onto the street, and made a rabbit hole. When I emerged from the hole, I was in another part of the city. When I saw the movie tapes villain come back, I made another rabbit hole and jumped in. I emerged from this hole on the top of a roof. I saw a blonde haired boy in a cat suit, a blue pigtailed girl in a ladybug suit, and a platinum blonde haired girl in a swan suit. Were they Ladybug, Cat Noir and Crystal Cygne? Wait a minute... They're fake!

"Going somewhere, bunny rabbit?"

I turned and saw the movie tapes villain in front of me.

"What have you done with them?" I demanded.

"I'm holding them hostage. My name is MovieManiac, and are you ready to play a game, white rabbit?"

I smirked. "Sure."

"Let the game begin!" Said MovieManiac.

* * *

 **Elisa**

I woke up in a strange room. I suddenly recognized it as the abandoned warehouse where I revealed my identity to Luka. The last thing I remember is MovieManiac knocking me out... Wait, where are Ladybug and Cat Noir?

"You all right, Crystal?" Said a familiar voice. I looked to my left and saw Ladybug chained to the wall. Cat Noir was chained on my right.

"I'm fine." I replied.

"What about you, Cat Noir?"

Cat Noir smirked. "At least I'm chained to you, Bugaboo."

"Ugh..." Groaned Ladybug.

I snickered. I could already imagine Luka under a mask, calling me a cute name like that.

The TV that was in front of us flickered and turned on by itself. MovieManiac popped his head out of the TV.

"Well, well, well. Today's your lucky day. I've got a little mouse caught in my trap. Or should I say bunny rabbit? She only has two hours to save you. Oh, wait. I've made sure that is impossible. And it won't be long before your Miraculous are mine! And as for you, little minx, time starts now!"

The TV turned off. I started to worry about Luka. Was he ok?

Apparently, Ladybug sensed my worry. "Crystal, what's wrong?"

I made a cover-up to keep my identity a secret. "It's Luka's girlfriend, Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard. She asked me to keep him safe. I've failed her."

* * *

 **Sakura**

Well, this is interesting. An Indiana Jones movie trap, huh?

But there's one thing this villain does not know: I know how to slip through traps like these. Whether or not I'm in the mask and suit, I can defend myself. Better watch out, MovieManiac, I'm going to save my teammates!

The first trap was very easy, with the poison darts. I was able to use my ninja skills to prevent myself from getting hit by those darts.

The second trap involved creatures from the movie _Predator_. I knew what the aliens' weaknesses were, so I was able to defeat them in less than two minutes.

The third trap was the Minotaur, the creature that appeared in _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_. I defeated him with just kicks to the face and a slice by my katana.

Trap number four involved the original _TRON_ movie. I had to use a motorcycle to defeat the villains.

The fifth and final trap involved the Stephen King movie _IT_. I had to face my worst fear: a tsunami. I used my super jump skills to hop over the gigantic wave and confront Pennywise himself.

"Beep beep, Richie."

I glared, slicing off the clown's arm with my katana. "I am NOT Richie!"

Suddenly, Pennywise turned into... Mayor Bourgeois?

"Mayor Bourgeois, you're fine now. I am Cottontail, new accomplice to Ladybug and friends."

"Thank you, Cottontail. The last thing I remember is MovieManiac throwing a movie ticket at me."

I closed my eyes and used another one of my special powers to sense the presence of my teammates. I detected their energy in an abandoned warehouse.

I busted the doors open and broke the chains binding my friends to the wall.

Cat Noir smiled. "I have you to thank for saving us, um..."

"I'm Cottontail. Your trio just became a quartet."

"Thank you, Cottontail." Said Crystal Cygne.

"You're welcome. Now, I believe that the four of us have business to get to."

The four of us stood our ground as MovieManiac came through the TV like Samara in _The Ring_.

"How did you defeat all of my traps?!" MovieManiac pointed at me with the deadliest glare I've ever seen.

I wasn't fazed. I just smirked. "It's different compared to _you_."

That set him off. "Hand over your Miraculous! All of you!"

"Never!" The four of us yelled, drawing our weapons.

MovieManiac charged, and I leaped at him with my katana. He threw a ticket at me, but I dodged and landed a kick to his face.

Cat Noir was amazed. "That's one angry rabbit."

I then turned to Crystal Cygne. "Now, use your scepter!"

Crystal Cygne nodded and waved her scepter in a music note pattern before singing several notes into it like a microphone. She then called out "Swan Song!"

While Crystal Cygne was occupied with MovieManiac, Ladybug used her Lucky Charm.

"A rabbit keychain? What will that do?" Ladybug questioned. She then used her vision to come up with a plan, and she turned to me.

"Cottontail, the time is now. Throw the keychain at him, then use your attack!"

I threw the keychain at MovieManiac, getting his attention. I then waved my katana and used my power for the first time.

"Starstruck!"

While running at my enemy, I raised my katana to the sky, summoning light energy from the stars in space. The white beam knocked MovieManiac to the ground.

Cat Noir snatched the hat from MovieManiac's head and used his Cataclysm on it. The akuma flew out, and Ladybug opened up her yo-yo.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma." She swung the yo-yo and captured the akuma with it.

"Time to de-evilize!"

I smiled, my heart filled with joy at being able to work with Ladybug and her teammates.

"Gotcha!" Ladybug released the purified akuma. "Bye bye, little butterfly." She then used her Miraculous Ladybug power to return the city back to normal.

The four of us did what I learned was our signature fist bump. "Pound it!"

I then heard a beeping noise. I had little time left before my transformation wore off.

"Well, looks like I need to hop into the rabbit hole!" I created a rabbit hole and jumped inside. It took me into my room, where I detransformed.

Fluff flew out of my anklet and up in front of me with a big smile. "Sakura, that was amazing!"

I laughed sheepishly. "Thanks. I'm surprised I knew what to do, even though this was my first battle."

I fed Fluff a piece of mochi before letting her in my purse.

I headed downstairs to speak to Mom. "Hey, Mom, is it ok if I go find Elisa?"

"Sure, sweetie." Mom flashed me a smile.

I winked and left the house to find my best friend.

* * *

 **Elisa**

I flew onto the balcony and ran into my room to detransform. Like with Lava Girl, Luka was watching the TV while waiting for me.

Upon seeing me, Luka hopped off the bed and pulled me in for a long and passionate kiss.

"I'm glad you're ok."

"Elisa! Luka!" Mom knocked on the door. "May I come in?"

"Sure." I replied.

Mom opened the door. "Elisa, there's someone here to see you!"

I raised my eyebrows. Who was it?

Luka and I went downstairs, and I got the greatest shock of my life.

"S-Sakura?"

Sakura turned around, and a huge grin blossomed on her face.

"Elisa!"

Sakura ran over to me, and I met her halfway. We shared the biggest hug in our lives.

When we separated, I widened my eyes. "But, how are you here? Are you visiting?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nope! I convinced Mom and Dad to move us here. One: I missed you too much. Two: I wanted to go to a public school. Three: our new home has a private hot spring."

"That's wonderful! Hey, do you remember Lily Robinson?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes, I do!"

"She got akumatized by Hawk Moth into Lava Girl, and Ladybug and her teammates defeated her!"

"That's cool. Wait, did you say Lily is here? In Paris?"

"Yes!" I grinned like an idiot. "Can we go see her?"

Sakura smirked. "And reform the Flower Trio? Absolutely!"

I turned to my boyfriend. "Luka, if you want to come with, you can."

Luka nodded. "I certainly will."

"Hey, Mom! The three of us are heading off to see an old friend. I'll be back in an hour or two."

"Have fun, you guys!" Mom called back.

We walked for roughly five minutes until we saw a girl with lilac purple hair exiting the Dupain-Cheng bakery. She was wearing a rainbow colored dress under a white shrug. I knew it was Lily. We ran over to greet her.

"Hey, Lily!"

Lily turned around. When she saw us, a look of fear crossed her face. She stepped back.

"Who are you?! I don't know you! How do you know my name?! How do you-" She stopped and took a closer look at us. "Elisa?! Sakura?!"

"Yes, it's us." I smiled, happy that Lily remembered us.

"Hello!" Sakura waved to Lily.

I thought I saw a blush on Lily's face.

"Oh... Um... Well... Hi."

"Hey, remember the old Flower Trio chant?"

"I certainly do!" Lily put her hand in the center. Sakura and I put our hands on top of hers. The three of us chanted together:

"Once the Flower Trio, always the Flower Trio! Pow! Straight to the sun!"

On 'pow, straight to the sun', we raised our hands to the sky.

Lily pulled out her phone. "It's Mom. She and Dad want me home. I'm starting at Françoise Dupont High School tomorrow."

Sakura squealed. "No way! So am I!"

"Do you want us to walk you home?"

Lily smiled sweetly. "Oh, Elisa, that's very nice of you. I'm good though."

We watched as Lily walked home, waving goodbye to her.

I smirked to myself, having come up with a plan with Luka.

"Hey, Sakura, want to come with us to the park?"

"Oh, Elisa, I'd LOVE to see the park!"

I elbowed my best friend. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's beat!"

* * *

 **Sakura**

It took ten minutes for Elisa, Luka and I to arrive at the park.

I saw a girl with dark blue hair in pigtails with a younger girl.

"Marinette, over here!" Elisa motioned to the girl.

"Oh, hi!" Said the pigtail girl, Marinette. She and the younger girl headed over to join our group.

"Sakura, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She attends Françoise Dupont High School with us. The little girl is Manon Chamack. Marinette babysits her pretty often."

"Marinette, it's the princess!" Manon piped. "Mommy and I saw her on TV!"

"Yes, I am a real princess." I sweatdropped. "But that's another tale for another time."

"Welcome to Paris, Sakura!" I shook hands with Marinette. "When are you starting?"

"Tomorrow. Mine and Elisa's good friend Lily is also starting there."

Just then, I saw a boy with red hair walking by. He looked familiar to Marinette, Elisa and Luka.

"Nathaniel, come meet the new girl!" Marinette waved the boy over.

The boy, Nathaniel, was at our side in seconds.

"Sakura, this is Nathaniel Kurtzberg. He's in our class! Nathaniel, meet Sakura Morris. She's the princess of Japan!"

"Japan, huh?" Nathaniel held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Sakura. I'm looking forward to getting to know you."

I shook his hand. "Same here."

I've got to admit, Nathaniel's rather cute. No, Sakura! What are you thinking?! You just met him!

I'll have to give Elisa a piece of my mind for this...


	9. Attack of Frightningale

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 **Elisa**

"Elisa, wake up!" Suuiren was tugging on my hair.

"Ow!" I swatted at my kwami. "Ok, ok, I'm up!"

I hopped out of bed and changed into a pink and white knee-length dress and my signature white heels.

"Hey, Suuiren, they're going to announce what this year's musical is!"

"Really? I hope it's a great one!"

I winked. "I'm hoping it's _Beauty and the Beast._ "

"Elisa!" I heard Dad shout from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready!"

I put on my purse and let Suuiren into it. I then headed downstairs. To my surprise, Sakura and Lily were sitting at the table!

"Sakura? Lily? What are you doing here?"

Sakura giggled. "Your dad offered me to come over and eat breakfast with you. Of course, I said yes. I extended the invitation to Lily, and her parents were ok with it."

I poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat down with my friends. "So, are you two nervous about starting at a new school?"

Sakura shrugged. "A little. I'm very much looking forward to it, though."

Lily nodded. "I'm _very_ nervous. I've been homeschooled my whole life, and my mother and I just recently convinced my overprotective father to let me attend a public school."

"Hey," I comforted Lily. "You're not alone. A friend of mine at school, Adrien Agreste, has a father just as overprotective as yours."

"I'm sure your father just wants what's best for you." Sakura interjected.

A lightbulb went off in my head. I had an idea!

"Say, Lily! How would you, me and Sakura like to audition for the school musical?"

Lily's face lit up. "A musical? I love musicals! I'm personally hoping for _Bye Bye Birdie!_ "

Sakura smirked. "Hoping for _Into the Woods._ What about you, Elisa?"

" _Beauty and the Beast_ for me."

After we finished our breakfast, we picked up our backpacks and headed off to school.

"Well, girls, this is it. Françoise Dupont High School. Let's get your schedules from Principal Damocles."

Just as we started up the stairs, Lily dashed behind me.

"Lily, I know you're nervous." I turned to face my lilac haired friend. "But don't worry. Pretty much everyone here is nice. Watch out for Chloé Bourgeois, though. Prissy blonde girl, yellow jacket, striped shirt? She's the mean girl here. There's also a girl named Karen who's almost as mean as Chloé. She has her own gang here."

Lily nodded. "Hopefully, we have classes together."

"Ready, Lily?"

Lily smiled. "Yes, Elisa. I am ready."

I smiled back. "Well then, let's go!"

We entered the school building and entered Principal Damocles' office.

"Good morning, Principal Damocles."

"Good morning, Miss Krelborn-Fulquard. Are those the new students with you?"

I nodded. "Yes. Sakura here moved from Moscow like I did, and Lily's starting here, having been homeschooled almost her whole life."

Principal Damocles shook hands with Sakura. He wanted to shake hands with Lily too, but she shrunk away. "Welcome to our school, Miss Morris and Miss Robinson. I had two other new students come through a few minutes ago. One of them seems to be very shy, just like you, Miss Robinson."

"Yeah, sure..." Lily squeaked. "That's nice..."

"Lily will adjust." I reassured Principal Damocles. "It'll take time."

"Miss Morris, Miss Robinson, here are your schedules."

I looked at Sakura's schedule, very much impressed. "So Sakura, you and I both have Ms. Bustier first period. Who do you have first period, Lily?"

"Um... French History with Mr. Thompson."

The three of us walked out and into the hallway.

"Ok. Sakura, Chloé is in our class, so if she says anything mean to you, just ignore her, ok?"

"I'll try, Elisa."

While Lily headed off in another direction, I brought Sakura to Ms. Bustier's classroom. I opened the door and poked my head in.

"Ms. Bustier, I have the new student."

"Bring her in."

I walked Sakura into the classroom, seeing the familiar faces of Marinette, Adrien, Luka, Nino, Alya, Kim, Chloé, Nathaniel and the others. I patted my best friend on the shoulder before taking my seat next to Luka.

"Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Ms. Bustier!"

"As you all can see, we have a new student in our class today. Sakura, will you introduce yourself?"

Sakura stood up front next to Ms. Bustier, where we could see her.

" _Konnichiwa!_ My name is Sakura Morris, and although I was born in Japan, I moved from Moscow, just like my bestie, Elisa!"

I giggled, and the other students laughed, including Chloé. The only one who didn't laugh was Nathaniel.

"Tell us more about yourself, Sakura."

Sakura seemed to radiate positive energy as she talked about the things she liked to do.

"Well, I am very skilled in martial arts and sword fighting. After my sixth birthday, I started watching videos on how the samurai in the Sengoku era used to do it. The Japanese still do it, but nowadays, it's just a sport."

Adrien raised his hand.

"Yes, Adrien?" Ms. Bustier called on Adrien.

"Did you know that we have fencing here? You should try it."

Sakura smiled sadly. "Oh, that's very nice of you, but I'd rather stick to my training. Plus, my parents want me to know how to defend myself. That also includes surviving the woods."

Max raised his hand next.

"Anything you want to ask Miss Morris, Max?"

"What's the difference between a fencing sword and a samurai sword?"

"Well, the fencing sword is thin and rounded, but the samurai sword has a distinct curve to it. It's also flat and a bit thicker."

"Wow, Sakura. That's very impressive." Ms. Bustier smiled. "As much as we want to learn more about you, I'm afraid we have to get to learning. Miss Morris, you can take the empty seat next to Mr. Kurtzberg."

Sakura took her seat next to Nathaniel, and Ms. Bustier started the class.

* * *

 **Lily**

I arrived at Mr. Thompson's classroom and opened the door. I slowly stepped into the classroom.

"Mr. Thompson, I believe that's the new student!" A boy with raven hair pointed to me.

"Marvin, she appears to be shy!" Said a girl resembling the boy.

"Marvin, Mia, that's enough." Mr. Thompson quieted the two. "Students, I'd like to introduce you to your new classmate, Lily. Now, she's been homeschooled most of her life, and she's very shy, so take it easy with her. Everyone, stand up _one at a time,_ and introduce yourself."

The boy and girl from before stood up and introduced themselves.

"Marvin Monarrez."

"Mia Monarrez."

One by one, the other nine students got up and introduced themselves.

"Shane Vermeer."

"Sharon Miller."

"Charles Kane."

"Valerie Mezvinsky."

"Olivia Arclight."

"Jack Alvarez."

"Aaron Curtiz."

"Kayla Norris."

"Anita Woodard."

My new classmates seemed nice, but I wanted to wait and get to know them.

"It's... It's nice to meet you guys..." I said timidly.

"We're very happy to have you here, Lily. You can take the empty seat next to Miss Arclight."

I sat down next to Olivia, and Mr. Thompson started the class.

* * *

 **Elisa**

The school day was almost over, and fifth period had just ended. I was walking with Sakura, Lily and Luka to lunch when I heard someone crying.

We followed the sound until we came upon a girl with brown hair sitting under the stairs, her head buried in her knees.

I turned to my friends and boyfriend. "I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."

While Luka and the others headed to the cafeteria, I bent down next to the girl and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Hey..."

"Go away, Sharon!" Sobbed the girl.

"Sharon?" I asked. "Who's Sharon?"

The girl looked up at me, her tear-streaked face and brown eyes full of sadness.

"Oh, you're not Sharon."

I gave the girl a sad smile. "Ok. Let's start with your name."

"I'm Nichole Miller. My mother is the drama teacher. Sharon's my sister."

I nodded. "Nichole's a nice name. Sharon is too. Now, what's got you all down in the dumps?"

"I had a crush on this guy, and I told him how I felt. He didn't feel the same way."

"Who was it?"

"My classmates Marvin and Mia Monarrez's older brother, Oliver."

I immediately felt sorry for Nichole. I didn't know what it was like to be rejected, but I could tell it hurt her badly.

I saw Melandra Kinsey and Matthew Ellerbee walking by. If I recall clearly, they are both in Ms. Mendeleiev's class. I whistled to get their attention, and they sat down next to us.

I relayed to Matthew and Melandra what Nichole had told me, and they expressed their sympathy.

"What's the age difference between you two?" Melandra asked.

"I'm 15, he's 24. I thought he was around my age. Boy, how wrong I was." Nichole let out a bitter sob and buried her face in her knees again.

"Hey," Melandra put her hand on Nichole's shoulder. "Elisa may not know what it's like to be rejected, but I do. I've been there."

Melandra began to sing.

 **Melandra:**

 _Mother cannot guide you._

 _Now you're on your own._

 _Only me beside you._

 _Still, you're not alone._

 _No one is alone._

 _Truly, no one is alone._

Nichole sniffled. "I wish..."

Melandra squeezed Nichole's shoulder. "I know."

"You know," Matthew spoke up. "Last year, I had feelings for a girl. As a matter of fact, it was Melandra! I told her how I felt, but she didn't feel the same. She just wanted us to be friends. I was disappointed at first, but got over it quickly. Now, Melandra and I are besties!"

That wasn't enough for Nichole to smile.

"See," Said Melandra. "We're here for you, Nichole. Just listen to what we have to say."

 **Melandra: (Matthew:)**

 _Mother isn't here now. (Wrong things, right things.)  
_

 _Who knows what she'd say? (Who can say what's true?)_

 _Nothing's quite so clear now. (Do things, fight things)_

 _Feel you lost your way?_

 **Matthew:**

 _You decide, but_

 **Matthew and Melandra:**

 _You are not alone._

 **Melandra: (Matthew:)**

 _Believe me,_

 _No one is alone. (No one is alone, believe me.)_

 **Melandra:**

 _Truly,_

 **Matthew and Melandra:**

 _People make mistakes._

 **Matthew:**

 _Fathers,_

 **Melandra:**

 _Mothers,_

 **Matthew and Melandra:**

 _People make mistakes._

 _Holding to their own..._

 _Thinking they're alone..._

 **Melandra: (Matthew:)**

 _Honor their mistakes (Fight for their mistakes)_

 _Everybody makes_

 **Matthew and Melandra:**

 _One another's terrible mistakes._

 _Witches can be right._

 _Giants can be good._

 _You decide what's right._

 _You decide what's good._

 **Melandra: (Matthew:)**

 _Just remember... (Just remember...)_

 **Matthew and Melandra: (Elisa and Nichole:)**

 _Someone is on your side. (Our side...)_

 _Our side,_

 _Someone else is not._

 _While we're seeing our side... (Our side...)_

 _Our side,_

 **Matthew, Melandra, Elisa and Nichole:**

 _Maybe we forgot..._

 _They are not alone._

 _No one is alone._

 _Someone is on your side..._

 _No one is alone._

Melandra, Matthew and I pulled Nichole to her feet and brought her into a group hug.

"Nichole, we're all here for you. Your family, your friends, everyone!"

Melandra gave Nichole a tissue so she could blow her nose.

"Thank you, Melandra, Elisa..."

I smiled. "You're welcome. Hey, we're heading to lunch. Wanna come with? You can sit with your sister."

Nichole nodded. "I will."

The four of us headed to the cafeteria together. Sakura ran up to us while squealing.

"Elisa, did you see the poster revealing the musical?! We're doing Footloose! In fact, auditions are after school!"

"After school? Ok, then. I'll text my parents and let them know. You should do the same, Sakura."

"I shall."

Sakura and I texted our parents, letting them know we'd be staying after school for Footloose auditions. We immediately got the ok back, and we knew the auditions were a go.

* * *

 **Marc**

I was on my way to my art class when I bumped into another new student. She had lilac purple hair, zircon blue eyes, pale white skin, and a rainbow dress under a white shrug.

"Oh, h-hello. Uh... Are you i-in this class?" She stuttered.

"Y... Yeah."

We walked into the class and sat down at our table. The art teacher, Mr. Ross, stood in front of everyone.

"Good afternoon, students. We have two newcomers in our wonderful art room today. Marc, Lily, would you please step in front of the class?"

The girl and I slowly stepped up to the front where the other students could see us. I was so scared... I looked at the girl, and I could see that she too was frightened.

"Class, meet Marc Anciel and Lily Robinson. Marc moved here with his family from the other side of the country, and Lily just started here, having been homeschooled almost her whole life! Say hello to Marc and Lily!"

"Hello, Marc and Lily!" Said the class.

Why can't I get Lily out of my head? I've never liked anyone before... Why am I feeling this way towards her?

She's beautiful. I want to tell her how I feel, but I'm too scared, especially since we just met.

I did notice that Lily's rather shy herself. Does she like writing? I hope she does.

Is she a fan of Ladybug? I'm sure she is. I've been working on my latest journal, _The Diary of Ladybug._ I don't want to show it to anyone just yet.

I think I'll start with getting to know Lily.

"Marc and Lily, we are very happy to have you in the class. There are two empty seats next to Miss Kinsey."

* * *

 **Melandra**

I went with Elisa to the lockers right before seventh period. I had something up my sleeve.

"I told Lily to meet us here. If she doesn't come within 30 seconds, we're going to have to do something that will really annoy her."

30 seconds passed by, and Lily was a no-show. I whispered into Elisa's ear what we were going to do. She agreed with a smirk.

We both took a deep breath and shouted:

"Lily, Lily, Lily! Banana fana fo fudy! Mee mi mo moni!"

"Ok, I'm right here! Shut up!" Lily stormed up to us, frustrated. "It's not like you have to say my name three times, you know!"

"We just did!" Elisa and I said with sheepish grins on our faces.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I sometimes wonder why I even put up with you guys."

At that moment, the warning bell rang.

"We all have seventh period together. Let's go."

* * *

 **Lily**

School had just let out. Elisa had invited Sakura and I to stay the night at her house. Chloé and Sakura have started insulting each other, but Elisa and I would just stay out of it.

I still can't believe Elisa and Melandra had the gall to annoy me the way they did...

"Hey, girls," Elisa said to us as we walked to her house together with mine and Sakura's suitcases. We were finished with our Footloose auditions. "I heard from Marinette that Clara Nightingale will be performing her hit single 'Big Bang' live tomorrow morning. Want to come up with a group dance routine?"

Sakura shook her head. "You do that with Lily. I'll pass. Plus, I have to attend my training session. I won't be back for a couple hours."

"Oh, Sakura, please..." I faced Sakura with the old puppy eyes I knew she recognized.

"I'm sorry, Lily, but I have to uphold my family legacy. My parents are very strict about that."

I sighed. "I understand."

"Sakura, you go on ahead to your gig. Lily and I will take your suitcase up to my room."

Sakura nodded. "Will do, Elisa. See you girls in a couple hours!"

* * *

 **Elisa**

While Sakura went off in another direction, I arrived home with Lily.

"Let's go tell Mom and Dad we're home."

I opened the door and entered the house, Lily following behind.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!"

Dad entered the living room, and Mom came downstairs.

"How was school, sweetie?" Mom asked.

"We had a great day! Sakura had to go to Samurai training. She'll be here in a few hours. We'll bring her stuff upstairs."

"Are you and Lily going to study for your Humanities test next week?"

"Yes, Mrs. Krelborn-Fulquard!" Lily answered for me.

I opened the door for Lily and allowed her to enter first. I followed behind and shut the door.

"Wow, Elisa! This is your room?"

"Yes, it is."

We set our backpacks and Lily's suitcase on the floor. We pulled out our sets of flashcards.

"Lily, shall we quiz each other?"

Lily nodded. "We shall."

I put my study guide in my backpack and sat across from Lily.

"Elisa, you remember what way the call and response pattern of African music influenced jazz, right?"

It instantly came to me. "Slaves brought the pattern to the United States."

Lily sighed. "In fact, I really don't get why women weren't allowed to participate in Elizabethan theater, but _were_ allowed in neoclassic."

"Maybe because times changed between those eras."

"Ooh! I have a good one!" Lily smirked. "Do you remember the name of the artist who took jazz from small clubs to concert halls?"

"Um..." I tilted my head. "Uh... Oh! Edward Kennedy Ellington!"

Lily snickered. "Who did you _think_ it was? Michael Jackson?"

"Oh!" I perked up. "Tell me the name of the Greek playwright who best satisfied Aristotle's requirements for tragedy!"

 _"Sophocles!"_ Lily and I sing-songed together.

Lily read off the next flashcard. "Do you remember the name of the Russian playwright who started naturalism?"

"Anton..." I paused, trying to remember the last name. "Chekhov! Anton Chekhov!"

Lily winked. "You're on fire, girl!"

"Thanks!" I read off my next flashcard. "Define 'Exposition'."

"An exposition is dialogue in a movie or play expanding on the characters' backstories. For example, in _Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back_ , after Luke Skywalker was cornered by Darth Vader, he found out that Vader was his father."

I flashed Lily a smile. "Smart girl!"

Lily read off her next flashcard. "Compare and contrast the Hinduism and Buddhism religions."

I perked up, instantly remembering that one. "Hinduism is based on the concept of atman and Brahman, whereas Buddhism denies the existence of an eternal soul."

Lily nodded before pulling up her next flashcard. "What is Samadhi?"

I gasped. "Concentration achieved by meditation!"

"You know that one very well, Elisa. Do you meditate?"

I nodded. "I do. So does my boyfriend. We did it together once." I then pulled out another flashcard. "What kinds of films does Spike Lee make today?"

"Films about racism, interracial romance, and prejudiced police."

Lily nodded again. "Great one!"

We laughed and continued to study together until Sakura came back.

"Hi, hi, hi, girls! I'm back."

"How did it go?"

"It went great, Elisa. Let's just say that I kicked their butts."

Lily snickered. "Whose butts?"

"These two nerds who didn't know what they were doing."

Lily laughed. "Once a nerd, always a nerd."

I then remembered what I wanted to ask Sakura. "So, elaborate more on why you don't want to join us in our group hip hop routine tomorrow?"

"I am expected to uphold my family's legacy, and there are strict rules that come with this. One such example is that I'm not allowed to do any dancing other than traditional Japanese dances, ballroom dancing and ballet. The only exception is if I'm participating in a play or musical."

Lily nodded. "I think I understand a bit."

Sakura perked up. "Oh! They're showing the newest episode of _Stranger Things._ It's the first episode in the second season!"

"Let's put it on."

I sat down on the bed with Lily as Sakura turned on the TV and put on the channel showing _Stranger Things._ She then sat down between myself and Lily.

* * *

 **Sakura**

When the episode ended, Elisa's mother called us downstairs for dinner.

I was surprised to see that she had cooked my favorite Japanese food: wagyu beef.

Elisa and Lily both had cheddar cheese cubes and grilled meat.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Krelborn-Fulquard! I _love_ wagyu beef!"

"You're very welcome, Sakura. Why would I ever forget what my daughter's best friend loves to eat?"

"Lily, what part did you audition for?" Elisa asked the purplenette.

"Um... Honestly, I'd prefer to be in the ensemble. I don't feel ready to play a lead role yet." Lily replied before popping a cheese cube in her mouth.

"I kinda guessed that." I interjected. "We both know how shy Lily is."

"You know, Sakura, what are you _concerned_ about? I mean, in regards to the show." Elisa asked.

I sighed. "I'm worried that one of the lead roles will go to Chloé."

Elisa laughed. "Oh please. Even Mrs. Miller hates Chloé. The chances of her playing _any_ of the lead roles are very slim."

When we finished eating dinner, I looked at my friends. "Elisa, Lily, I need to show you something."

* * *

 **Lily**

When the three of us went back upstairs to Elisa's room, Sakura pulled a thick book out of her suitcase.

"This book contains many ancient legends told over the centuries. One of them has really piqued my interest." She opened the book to a page depicting two goddesses. "Over a thousand years ago, twin goddess sisters came into existence. The firstborn was named Diana Lane, D.L. for short, and the secondborn was named Stella. D.L. was the warrior, and Stella the healer. One day, the girls' birthday party was crashed by their maternal aunt, Medusa."

"Medusa?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"Goddess of reptiles and stone." Sakura explained. "Anyway, Medusa crashed her twin nieces' party, but none of the Twelve Olympians were there yet, not including Hades."

"Why did Medusa crash the party?" Elisa asked.

"No one knows. The most common theory is that Medusa tried to kill Stella and hypnotize D.L. The girls' parents got in the way, and Medusa killed them."

I put my hands to my mouth and Elisa gasped.

"Those poor girls..." Elisa bit her lip.

"Now get ready. This next part is gonna be a little gross."

Elisa and I braced ourselves for what Sakura was going to say next.

Sakura took a deep breath before talking again. "In a fit of rage, D.L. slashed Medusa's head off, killing her murderous aunt once and for all. However, the two sisters were not out of the woods yet. D.L. ended up with Medusa's powers, and the whole tragedy has been a burden to her ever since."

"That's really sad." I hung my head low.

"And that's not all. The legend says that if there's an extreme crisis, the Goddess Sisters will come to help."

"Do you think they could help the Miraculous Four defeat Hawk Moth?" Elisa asked.

"They can't intervene in a case like this. It's mainly if the entire world as we know it is at stake." Sakura replied, shutting the book.

When we went to bed a few hours later, right before I dozed off, I wondered if we would meet the Goddess Sisters one day. Are they just a legend, or do they really exist?

* * *

 **Elisa**

The next morning, after we had breakfast, Sakura went outside to practice her samurai tricks. Lily and I tuned in to the channel broadcasting Clara's music video.

Instead of trying to imitate Clara's choreography, Lily and I did our own hip hop routine.

"And that was Clara Nightingale's hit single "Big Bang" for us!" TV host Alec Cataldi announced. He was currently doing an interview with Clara.

"That was wonderful, Elisa. Whew, I'm thirsty." Lily wiped her forehead. "I'm going downstairs to get some water."

When Lily left the room, I focused my attention back to the broadcast. Clara was dancing while Alec spoke to her.

"Clara, in just a few short months you've become an international sensation with your ultra-unique singing and style. Apparently, you even sing and dance in your sleep! Do you ever stop?"

Clara replied with a chant in rhyme, "Never, you see.

Dancing and singing are everything to me.

And I'm happy to share the joy of song and dance

To the amazing people of France!"

"She's very passionate about her art..." I said to myself.

"You've come to Paris to film the video for your next song, which is gonna be titled 'Miraculous'."

I gasped. What?!

"I really admire and adore

The Miraculous Four.

An homage to them I wanted to pay

Because they inspire me every single day!"

I gasped again. "A song about me, I mean Crystal Cygne?! Wow!"

"Auditions will be held at the Grand Palais Hotel, is that right?" Alec asked. "A little birdie told me that you already found your Cottontail and Cat Noir. Care to share the good news?"

"My lips are sealed,

But soon they'll be revealed.

We must still cast Crystal Cygne, Ladybug and extras, by the way.

So come on out and audition today!"

I let out my third gasp of the day. Audition for the music video?! I'm floored...

My phone buzzed. It's a text message from Marinette!

 _'Elisa, did you get the news about the auditions?! Alya and the others already buzzed me. Are you going?'_

I sent a reply. _'I have great admiration for Clara Nightingale! Why would I not go?!'_

Suuiren flew up in front of my face. "Elisa, you aren't auditioning for Crystal Cygne, are you?"

"I wouldn't do anything to risk revealing my secret identity. I'm perfectly fine with being an extra."

Suuiren kissed my nose. "I'm very proud of you, Elisa."

* * *

 **Sakura**

I had gone to use the bathroom when I got a text on my phone from my mom.

 _'Sakura, sweetie, your father and I have wonderful news. Clara Nightingale has come to Paris to film her next music video, "Miraculous!" She knows of our high status, and has chosen you to be Cottontail. She also chose Adrien Agreste to play Cat Noir. She's holding auditions for Ladybug, Crystal Cygne and extras.'_

With shaky hands, I texted back _'Ok, that's wonderful!'_

Fluff flew out of my kimono, sensing my stress. "Sakura, is something the matter?"

"Clara Nightingale, the famous singer, has chosen me to play Cottontail in her music video! I'm happy, but also very frightened. What if they discover my secret identity?"

"You could just hide the mask and say you lost it and can't find it." Fluff suggested.

"Great idea, Fluff!"

* * *

 **Elisa**

We were now at the Grand Palais for auditions. Clara Nightingale herself stood on the stage, greeting everyone.

"Thank you for coming, all of you!

This is like a dream come true!

Together we'll all dance and sing;

It's going to be awesome and amazing!"

I was standing in the extras line with Marinette, Alya, Luka, Lily, Rose, Melandra, Juleka, Alix, Mylène and Marc Anciel, one of the new students at school. Marc had his red hood up. He seemed a bit nervous, but at least Lily was there.

"We're gonna be in Clara Nightingale's music video!" Alya squealed. "This is humongous!"

"I can't believe this is happening!" Marinette shrieked.

"And now, meet our rising star,

Adrien as Cat Noir!" Clara announced.

Adrien came to the stage in a Cat Noir costume. He was missing his mask though. I must say, Adrien looks a bit like Cat Noir... There's no way Adrien can be Cat Noir... right?

"Followed by the girl who won't fail,

Sakura as Cottontail!"

Sakura came into view in a Cottontail costume. What happened to her mask? Did she lose hers too?

"It's no biggie; it's okay.

We don't need the masks for tryouts anyway." Clara reassured Sakura as she helped her onstage next to Adrien. She then called for the Ladybug and Crystal Cygne auditonees.

Among the Ladybug auditionees were Officer Roger and a little girl. She had a little black cat with her. So cute! Melandra had decided to move to the Crystal Cygne auditionee line at the last minute.

I saw Clara pick up a tray of Chouquettes and walk over with them.

"You must be starving

From all this waiting!"

I pulled out a piece of Russian chocolate I kept in the freezer. I recall the day I arrived in Paris and gave one to Master Fu. I think I'll give this to Clara.

I got out of the line to tap Clara on the shoulder. I held out the piece of chocolate to her.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Clara, but I wanted to present you a gift: a piece of chocolate from where I lived as a child."

Clara took the piece of chocolate and gave me a hug.

"Thank you!

You're cute, I must say.

For you are Crystal Cygne!"

I gasped for the fourth time today. "What?!" Did she know my identity?! "What exactly are you talking about?" I asked nervously.

"Chocolate is one of my favorite sweets,

Oh how fast my heart beats!

Crystal Cygne would've done the same,

So dearie, what is your name?"

"Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard..." I replied softly. Thankfully, she heard.

"Well, then, Elisa! Say it's so!

Be a dear and play Crystal Cygne on my video!"

I covered my mouth in shock before looking down at Suuiren in my purse.

"I'm sorry, Clara. That's very nice of you, but I came to be an extra."

"That's a pity, a shame; but I understand it's true.

That's a very cool gesture, very Crystal Cygne of you!" Clara sat me down in a chair near a trailer.

"Just sit over here for make-up, okay?

I'll ask your friends to be sent over right away!"

I then saw Clara trip with the tray of Chouquettes. Marinette helped her up. Clara asked Marinette to play Ladybug, but she gently said no like I did.

"Good job for not giving into temptation, Elisa!" Suuiren praised me.

Marinette was seated into a chair next to mine. Alya and the others came to talk to her, excluding Luka, Marc and Lily.

Suddenly, much to my surprise, Chloé entered in a Ladybug costume!

"Thank you all for coming. You can go home now." Chloé snarked.

"Uh, heads up; brat alert in the immediate vicinity." Said Alya.

"Don't worry. Knowing Nightingale, Chloé doesn't stand a _chance_ of being chosen." Marinette reassured us.

"I second that." I interjected.

Chloé got up on stage and faced Clara. "Your 'Ladybug' has arrived! So when does the shoot begin?"

"Chloé, everyone has to audition. You know that!" Adrien reminded Chloé.

Chloé did some arm stretches. "Oh yeah, that little formality." She then did some expert looking dance moves that floored even myself!

"Aaah...ha ha. It's been a while. Eight years of private classes with Aurélie Dupont from the Paris Op-er-a. I know. I'm breathtaking."

I rolled my eyes. I knew how big of a crush Chloé had on Adrien. She would do anything to get with him, which is part of the reason she hates Marinette.

"You've definitely got enough talent for me,

But you and Cat Noir have to be a good match, you see.

It's just like Crystal Cygne and Cottontail you know,

It's more than just a show." Clara said to Chloé.

"No problem." Chloé hugged Adrien. I could feel the anger coming off of Marinette. "Adrikins and I have known each other since we were little!"

"Hmmm." Clara contemplated.

Mayor Bourgeois stood up just offstage. "The son of the world's greatest fashion designer and the daughter of the Mayor of Paris - that would be just perfect!"

Marinette growled, and even I was starting to boil up with anger.

"Is there a problem, Master Dupain-Cheng?" Alya asked Marinette.

"Chloé playing Ladybug? No way! Not gonna happen!" Marinette snarled.

"Oh? _That_ bothers you more than not being with Adrien in the video?"

"Uh, if I _were_ Ladybug, I wouldn't want a brat like Chloé playing _me_." Marinette spat.

"Same here if _I_ was Crystal Cygne!" I added.

Clara talked to Mr. Agreste via FaceTime on his assistant Nathalie's tablet. "What do _you_ think, Gabriel?"

"Hmmm. Artistically speaking, the young lady with ponytails would've been ideal; but it's time to start filming. We'll make do with Miss Bourgeois for Ladybug, and Miss Kinsey for Crystal Cygne."

Chloé seemed pleased to hear that. "Woohoo! We're both going to be in a music video, Adrikins! ...Or should I say, Adri-cat!" She laughed. "Get it? Adri-cat!"

Adrien laughed nervously. "Adri-cat, yeah."

Marinette was ready to blow a fuse, and I was too. She stood up.

"Hey wait!... I've changed my mind! I _do_ wanna be Ladybug!"

I stood up as well. "Likewise with me! I actually wanna be Crystal Cygne!"

In my purse, Suuiren gasped.

Melandra shrugged. "My initial plan was to be an extra. I'm fine with that."

Sakura sighed in relief. I could tell that she didn't want to deal with Chloé.

"Awesome! This will be the best video yet!" Clara kissed Marinette on both cheeks and did the same to me. "Thank you, thank you, Elisa and Marinette!"

Clara then turned to a fuming Chloé. "I'm really sorry, what's-your-name,

But you can still be an extra in the video, if you're game!"

Chloé was furious. " _What_?! You want me to be a mere... _extra_?! " She stormed off in a fit of rage, followed by her father. "Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

I laughed. "I knew she would say that."

Sakura sighed. "She _really_ needs to learn the Golden Rule."

"She never will." I scoffed.

* * *

 **Marinette**

I had gotten changed into the Ladybug costume. I held the mask in my hands.

"Ooh! Great choice of fabric! And these seams! Amazing craftsmanship!" Tikki marveled. "Almost like the real thing, don't you think?"

I felt happy that I stopped Chloé from being Ladybug in the video, but miserable that my secret identity is now at risk. "Uhh, yeah, it's too well done! Oh wow, Tikki; I really messed up this time! If they see me with this mask on, they're all gonna recognize me for sure! There's no way I can wear it!"

The stagehand knocked on the door. "You ready, Marinette?"

I was _so_ anxious. "Yes, I'm coming!" I called. I hid the mask in a pile of folded fabric before running out to the stage.

"There she is!" I heard Alya say.

A few minutes later, Elisa went into the trailer and exited in her Crystal Cygne costume, lacking her mask.

The two of us joined Adrien and Sakura onstage.

"Spot on! And spotlight!" Clara called.

The stage lights switched on.

"So, you're The Miraculous Four, right?" Clara asked us.

I panicked. I could see the same expression on Adrien's face, as well as Elisa and Sakura's faces.

"No!" We said. "Uh... Yes." We corrected ourselves, grinning and laughing sheepishly.

When Clara was done working with Sakura and Elisa, she started working with Adrien and I.

"One, two, and three." She instructed us on the arm movements. Unfortunately for me, I was lagging behind Adrien.

I noticed that my friends were watching. I hope I don't mess this up!

"Your dance moves need to be synchronized if you can,

So you'll need to hold each other by the hand." Clara instructed.

Adrien and I turned to face each other and clasped hands as if we were doing a casual handshake.

"Okay," Adrien said as we both chuckled nervously.

"Not like _that_." Clara giggled, putting Adrien's left hand in my right. "Don't be shy.

Like lovers do. Give it a try!"

I gaped anxiously at our clasped hands. Was this really happening?!

"One final task." Clara turned to us with a wink. "Put on the mask."

Adrien and I both nervously said that we lost our masks and couldn't find them.

"Yeah, we lost ours too." Elisa and Sakura said from behind us.

* * *

 **Normal POV**

"It's okay! I found them!" The stagehand shouted from next to the trailer.

Marinette, Adrien, Elisa and Sakura all gasped in dread. Clara handed them their masks and struck a pose, instructing them to put them on.

Time seemed to slow down. Their hearts pounded in their ears. They could not hear the cheering of their friends. Marinette, Adrien, Elisa and Sakura lifted the masks up to their faces as slowly as they could.

Right before the masks touched their faces, they were interrupted by Mayor Bourgeois carrying a stack of papers, followed by a smirking Chloé.

"I'm sorry. My administrative staff just realized you never submitted permit A38 as stipulated in the circular B65 that one can only get at counter C, third floor of City Hall, which is, alas, closed for renovations until August, which means you don't have a permit to shoot...anywhere in France, including Paris." Mayor Bourgeois gave the stack of papers to Clara.

Clara was shocked. "I...I don't understand!"

"It means no more dancing, no more singing today," Chloé walked up to Clara and snatched her microphone, throwing it off the stage. "The nightingale can spread her wings, and fly away! Oh! Did you hear that? I made a rhyme! How talented am I?"

While Chloé was talking, Clara had dropped the papers, running down and getting onto her knees to grab her fallen microphone. The star on it had cracked from the impact.

"No! The video needs to be shot here, in Paris, the capital of love, the city of the Miraculous Four!

This ruins all of my plans!

I'm so sorry, my beloved fans!"

A sobbing Clara ran into a dressing room trailer, closing the door and leaning back against it.

Marinette, Adrien, Elisa and Sakura went to change back into their normal clothes.

"Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous." Elisa muttered under her breath, walking to a nearby bathroom.

* * *

 **Elisa**

By the time we were back in our normal clothes, Chloé was dramatically trying to shoo everyone out.

"The show is over! You all have to leave now." She then laughed in evil triumph. Before Chloé could gloat any further, she and Mayor Bourgeois were struck with a whip and surrounded with pink glowing auras.

"Sing, dance or rhyme,

Or you'll be frozen in no time!"

We looked up to see a Harley Quinn like villainess standing on top of a catwalk.

"What is she talking about?" Chloé demanded as she and Mayor Bourgeois ran up to where Hawk Moth's latest akuma victim stood. "Dancing and making rhymes? And why not play the trumpet too, while you're at it -" She then turned into a pink statue.

"Chloé, hon!" Mayor Bourgeois gasped in dismay.

From above, the Harley Quinn villainess cackled in delight at having gotten revenge on Chloé.

"Please! Please! I'll keep up this rhyme,

Don't make me freeze, not this time!" Mayor Bourgeois pleaded.

The villainess clapped. "Oh, bravo!

And you've got the right tempo!"

She then spun her whip, hitting some of the extras. Others fled in panic.

I ran into a nearby trailer and locked the door.

"Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

I transformed into Crystal Cygne and met up with Ladybug. We followed the Harley Quinn villainess and confronted her. She had already hit more people with her whip. Among the unlucky people were Melandra, who had turned into a statue on her knees in front of the bus.

"Sing, dance or rhyme,

Or you'll be frozen in no time!" The villainess shouted across the city.

Using her yo-yo, Ladybug caught the villainess's whip wrist from behind.

"I thought you were a fan of us four, Nightingale; so you should know that we fight villains!"

"I'm Frightningale from here on out,

Forever and ever, there's no doubt!

And if you stand in my way,

There'll be a price to pay!"

Frightningale, huh? Hmmm... Interesting name.

Frightningale swung her whip at Ladybug, but she dodged.

"You have to come 'round!" Ladybug pleaded. "Don't let negative emotions take you over!"

"Yeah!" Said Cottontail, who had just hopped down next to me. "What happened to the Clara Nightingale we all know and love?"

"Hawk Moth is what happened." I turned to my teammate with a deadpan face.

Frightningale jumped down to battle Ladybug. "Song and dance will make the world a better place.

Don't agree with me? Ha! Then you're a disgrace!"

Frightningale and Ladybug took the fight to the ground.

"I can help you if you give me your akuma!" Ladybug pleaded some more.

"I won't let you take my akuma away.

I like the new me, and I'm here to _stay!_ "

Frightningale charged at Ladybug, but was tripped by a familiar staff. Cat Noir had entered the scene.

He twirled his staff before extending it to the ground and resting his hands and chin on it.

"Do you mind if _I_ join the dance?"

"Cat Noir!" I beamed. "Just in time."

Frightningale leaped back onto the roof of the Grand Palais.

"You're like all the others; but you can't silence me!

I'm just trying to make the world better, can't you see?"

Hawk Moth's overlay appeared over Frightningale's face. He said something to her before it disappeared.

"Do you really think the four of you

Can win this battle through and through?" Frightningale sneered.

"Two is always better than one, and four is always better than two!" Ladybug said before turning to us. "Cat Noir, you and Cottontail take the left. Crystal and I will get her from the right."

"We're on it!" Cat Noir replied.

The four of us ran up the building and charged Frightningale, but she dodged, causing Ladybug's yo-yo to snag Cat Noir's staff.

We charged her a second time, and Frightningale swung her whip. Cottontail and I moved out of the way just in time, but Ladybug and Cat Noir weren't so lucky.

"Uh oh..." I bit my lip.

"Welcome to my musical show.

I hope it will be your fatal blow!" Frightningale cackled in evil triumph.

"Crystal, I have a plan." Cottontail grabbed my hand. "Come with me."

We ran back into the Grand Palais when we noticed Frightningale was still focused on Ladybug and Cat Noir.

"Cottontail, what are you doing?" I asked when we ducked behind a wall. My teammate was holding up a glowing wish card.

"This wish card is going to turn the tide of the battle." Cottontail smirked at me. "Frightningale won't even see it coming so much as an inch away." She then raised the card to the sky. "I call upon Hatsune Miku. Time to fuse!"

A voice from the card said, "Wish accepted."

A blue portal opened up, and Cottontail stepped into it. She came out fused with the legendary Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku.

I was stunned at my teammate's new form. "Girl, you're looking great!"

"Please," She raised a hand. "Call me 'Mikutail' in this new form."

I nodded. "So what's your plan?"

Mikutail leaned into my ear to whisper the plan.

I nodded. "I see. So you're going to intimidate Frightningale with a song so Ladybug and Cat Noir can move in and get the akuma."

Mikutail winked. "You catch on pretty fast!"

"So what's the song?" I asked.

"Senbonzakura, Japanese for 1000 Cherry Trees." Mikutail explained. "I'll be singing it In English instead. In this form, my special power is called 'Miku Heavenly Pitch'. It has a pretty high chance of making my enemy deaf."

"Awesome!" I said. "Let's go stop Frightningale before she gets her hands on Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous!"

I then heard commotion from outside. They were coming!

"Mikutail, hide!"

Mikutail darted into the shadows just as Frightningale ran into the Grand Palais. Ladybug and Cat Noir entered, linked together by a pair of handcuffs summoned by Ladybug's Lucky Charm. At that moment, I used the instrumental function on my scepter to get the music started.

"Hey, Frightningale!" I called to get the villainess's attention. "Be dazzled! Be amazed! Be prepared to get outsmarted! Here comes Mikutail!"

The lights seemed to dim on their own as Mikutail stepped out of the shadows with a smirk on her face.

 **Mikutail:**

 _So here's the revolution, hot air across the nation_

 _One heart to bind creation, motivation_

 _Fly the flag with pride and bravery, shout out loud, say no to slavery_

 _Let's take down the all too savory, ICBM_

 _Running quickly, traveling along the line_

 _On the move, hurry, saving what is mine_

 _Boys and girls are Samurais in their right_

 _They're prepared for the endless fight!_

 _As they fade to the night, a thousand blossoms fly_

 _With a wonderful cry, it makes us wonder why_

 _In this cage of despair, who knows if what or where_

 _Will the guillotine release its fate on me?_

Frightningale started to swing her whip at Mikutail, but she expertly dodged every blow while keeping her composure.

 **Mikutail:**

 _In a world engulfed in hate, your voice invades my ears_

 _Will its wonderful song, be there for all to hear_

 _In the sky of red and black, there's no use coming back_

 _Just give up, my love and shoot me with your gun._

"Stand still, you mangy rabbit!" Frightningale hissed, chasing after Mikutail.

"Why?" Mikutail smirked. "You afraid?"

I darted over to Ladybug and Cat Noir, who were trying to keep up their rhythmic dancing and rhyming.

"Ok, you two, when Mikutail uses her special power, you grab Frightningale's whip wand and use your Cataclysm, Cat Noir."

"Your advice I got,

It's worth a shot!" Cat Noir replied.

 **Mikutail:**

 _Everyone look arms and fought for, every little son of daughter_

 _Still the plague of courtesans or dirty whores rule,_

 _One day, the world will gather, bow down before us rather,_

 _Saints are marching to the sound of one, two, three, four_

 _Passing through the gates of hell and hate_

 _Warding off the evil nightmares of the State_

 _Certainly as the bell tolls at the dawn_

 _We will witness a loud applause_

 _As they fade to the night, a thousand blossoms fly_

 _With a wonderful cry, it makes us wonder why_

 _In this cage of despair, who knows if what or where_

 _Will the guillotine release its fate on me?_

 _In a world engulfed in hate, your voice invades my ears_

 _Will its wonderful song be there for all to hear_

 _If it's hope that we need, we'll shout and cry our creed_

 _Till the bullet flies through the space between our eyes_

"Ok, you guys, it's almost time. You ready, Ladybug?" I asked.

Ladybug nodded.

"You ready, Cat Noir?"

Cat Noir winked and nodded.

"Ok, just wait for the signal and act when I give it to you."

Ladybug and Cat Noir flashed a thumbs up.

We continued to watch in amazement as Mikutail did all kinds of tricks as she dodged Frightningale's whip.

 **Mikutail:**

 _Running quickly, traveling along the line_

 _On the move, hurry, saving what is mine_

 _Boys and girls are Samurais in their right_

 _They're prepared for the endless fight_

 _As they fade to the night, a thousand blossoms fly_

 _With a wonderful cry, it makes us wonder why_

 _In this cage of despair, who knows if what or where_

 _Will you leap so free from the guillotine with me?_

 _As they fade to the night, a thousand blossoms fly_

 _With this song that you cry, you dance with me tonight_

 _In the sky of red and black, there's no use coming back_

 _Just give up my love, come shoot me with your gun_

Before she sang the last part, she activated her special power.

"Miku Heavenly Pitch!"

 **Mikutail:**

 _Come shoot me with your gun!_

With Frightningale disoriented, Cat Noir was able to grab Frightningale's whip wand and disintegrate it with his Cataclysm. The akuma flew out.

Ladybug threw the handcuffs into the air as the four of us yelled "Miraculous Ladybug!"

All around us, those who had been turned into pink statues were returned to normal, including Chloé.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma." Ladybug opened up her yo-yo to catch the akuma, swinging it. "Time to de-evilize!" She then caught the akuma with her yo-yo. "Gotcha!" Finally, she opened her yo-yo again, releasing the purified akuma. "Bye-bye, little butterfly."

* * *

 **Sakura**

The fusion dropped, and I waved goodbye to Hatsune Miku.

"Thanks for your help!"

The bluenette winked and left through the same blue portal she came from.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Frightningale transform back into Clara.

"Pound it!" Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and I did our signature four-way fist bump.

"Ladybug? Cat Noir! Crystal Cygne and Cottontail?! What are _you_ doing here?"

The four of us approached Clara, and Ladybug helped her up.

"You were akumatized by Hawk Moth." Crystal Cygne said, putting a hand on Clara's shoulder.

"But everything's back to normal again." Cat Noir added.

Clara beamed. "I was saved by the four of you?

How amazing! Too good to be true!"

" _And,_ " Ladybug held up a finger. "I have an idea how you can finish your video without anyone getting in your way!" She leaned into Clara's ear to whisper her idea. Clara smiled. She seemed to like it!

* * *

 **Elisa**

Ladybug's plan turned out exactly like she hoped it would: everyone was a featured dancer in the video (except for Chloé), wearing a Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne or Cottontail mask.

We viewed the finished video in the school library the following week.

"It's _so_ much better like this!" Rose squealed.

"At least now everybody gets to be in it!" Mylène added.

"Besides, even though Marinette, Adrien, Elisa and Sakura _kinda_ look like the Miraculous Four, they really weren't believable." Alya remarked.

I let out an inner sigh of relief, happy that my identity wasn't exposed.

"I couldn't agree more!" Marinette smiled.

"And I wouldn't have had any fun playing Crystal Cygne. It was _so_ much better being with you guys!"

"I agree with Elisa. I couldn't have possibly made a good Ladybug. Had way more fun with all of you."

Marinette's friends rushed her for a group hug.

"Yeah, I prefer this version, too." Adrien interjected. "I couldn't have pulled off playing Cat Noir."

"I know!" Marinette agreed. "Worlds apart!"

"What?" Adrien and Sakura asked, confused by what Marinette had said.

As Marinette stammered in front of Adrien, _again_ , I rolled my eyes.

"You know, Elisa," Sakura looked me in the eye. "You don't look a thing like Crystal Cygne. She's not as kind as you are."

"And Cottontail isn't as fierce as you." I smirked.

"I agree with you guys too. I probably would have made a dreadful Cottontail. I just had fun being with my best friend." Sakura pulled me into a hug, and I embraced her back.

* * *

 **Sakura**

Two weeks have passed since the Frightningale incident. School had just ended for the day, and as I got my stuff from my locker, we heard the announcements come on. After a couple minutes, Mrs. Miller came on the intercom to announce the cast.

"Good afternoon, students! Thank you to all who came out and auditioned. I'm very happy to announce the cast. It wasn't an easy process, and all of you are talented."

I held my breath.

"Playing the role of Ren McCormack is... Luka Couffaine!"

I heard some hooting and hollering from the other side of the locker room.

"Playing the role of Ariel Moore is... Elisa Krelborn-Fulquard!"

I couldn't suppress a squeal. My best friend got the lead lady role!

"Playing the role of Rusty Rodriguez is... Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

Wow! Go Marinette!

"Playing the role of Willard Hewitt is... Adrien Agreste!"

I gasped, remembering that in the show, Rusty has a HUGE crush on Willard. Does that mean Marinette gets to kiss Adrien?!

"Playing the role of Urleen is... Alya Césaire!"

I sighed in relief. I was worried that role would go to Chloé.

"Playing the role of Wendy Jo is... Sakura Morris!"

Elisa heard my name and rushed over to glomp me.

"Oh, Sakura! Congratulations!"

"Playing the role of Ren's sister Lucille McCormack is... Juleka Couffaine!"

"In most shows, Ren is an only child like us." I reminded Elisa. "Lucille was created specifically for this show alone."

"Playing the role of Chuck Cranston is... Ivan Bruel!"

Elisa sighed. "Chuck is Ariel's abusive boyfriend. Ariel does eventually break up with him and starts dating Ren. He does kiss Ariel a few times in the show. I think Mylène is a bit annoyed with this."

"Playing the role of Travis is... Kim Chién Lê!"

I heard Max yell "Yeah! Go, Kim!"

"Playing the role of Lyle is... Max Kanté!"

I shrugged. Coincidence? I think not!

"Playing the role of Principal Clark is... Aurore Beauréal!"

Elisa shrugged. "Well, even though she lost to Mireille, she at least got a speaking role in the show."

I recall Elisa telling me how she heard from Marinette that Aurore and Mireille competed for the title of Kidz+ Weather Girl. Aurore had lost, and was akumatized into Stormy Weather.

"Playing the role of Coach Dunbar is... Marvin Monarrez!"

Oh, right, Marvin is a student in Ms. Mendeliev's class. I almost forgot who he was.

"Playing the role of Eleanor Dunbar is... Olivia Arclight!"

Olivia was also in Ms. Mendeliev's class. I think she's the one with the red hair...?

"Playing the role of Ren and Lucille's uncle, Wes Warnicker is... Théo Barbot!"

Wait, Théo isn't a student at the school anymore! Oh, maybe he was asked to play the role as an alumni.

"Playing the role of Ren and Lucille's aunt, Lulu Warnicker is... Mireille Caquet!"

I had a feeling Mireille would get that role.

"Playing the role of Garvin is... Marc Anciel!"

Oh, yeah, he's the kid who wears a rainbow shirt!

"Playing the role of Jeter is... Nino Lahiffe!"

How wonderful for Nino! I recall reading that Jeter is one of Ren's close friends. Does Jeter date Urleen...?

"And last but not least, playing the role of Bickle is... Nathaniel Kurtzberg!"

Ugh! Why am I blushing just thinking about him?! Ok, I admit it. I have a crush on Nathaniel Kurtzberg.

"In addition, per the request of our own Principal Damocles, Elisa's parents have been invited to play the roles of Shaw and Vi Moore, and Juleka and Luka's mother has been invited to play the role of Ethel McCormack."

Elisa and I looked at each other with dropped jaws.

"If you auditioned and did not hear your name, then you are in the ensemble! Rehearsals begin next week! The rehearsal schedule will be given out in class tomorrow! Have a great day, students!"

"I'll put up with Mom and Dad being in the show as long as they don't do anything to embarrass me." Elisa held up a finger for emphasis.

Suddenly, Chloé stormed by, followed by Sabrina. We pretended to talk to each other.

"Did you hear that, Sabrina?! Me, in the ensemble?! This is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! _I_ should've gotten the role of Rusty Rodriguez! _I_ should be the one with Adrikins!"

When Chloé and Sabrina were out of earshot, I let out a sigh. "Chloé has been on my nerves since we arrived in Paris."

Elisa put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure she has."

* * *

 **Audrey**

Seymour was in the shop, and I was doing laundry, waiting for Elisa to get home.

I really love my husband and daughter. They're the rays of sunshine in my life.

Quite often, my mind turns back to the day Seymour and I were married (Chiffon was the officiate), the day Elisa was born, and the day baby Elisa laughed for the first time. Today was another one of those days...

 _Flashback:_

 _We had finally gotten to the vows._

 _"Do you, Seymour, choose Audrey as your wife? To love and respect her, to share your life and your dreams, and to build with her a home that's a place of love, happiness, commitment and growth?"_

 _"I do." Seymour said with a loving smile._

 _Chiffon then looked to me._

 _"Then do you, Audrey, choose Seymour as your husband? To love and respect him, to share your life and your dreams, and to build with him a home that's a place of love, happiness, commitment and growth?"_

 _"I do." I replied sweetly._

 _Chiffon smiled. "Today you stand before your friends and family who are here both physically and in spirit. Audrey, please repeat after me: 'Seymour, from this day forward'..."_

 _"Seymour, from this day forward..."_

 _"'I promise you these things:'"_

 _"I promise you these things:"_

 _"'I will respect and nurture your independence'..."_

 _"I will respect and nurture your independence..."_

 _"'And support you as my partner in life'."_

 _"And support you as my partner in life."_

 _"'I will communicate fully and fearlessly'..."_

 _"I will communicate fully and fearlessly..."_

 _"'And listen to you with compassion and understanding'."_

 _"And listen to you with compassion and understanding."_

 _"'I will speak to you with encouragement'..."_

 _"I will speak to you with encouragement..."_

 _"'And about you with honor'."_

 _"And about you with honor."_

 _"'I will consider you in all decisions'..."_

 _"I will consider you in all decisions..."_

 _"'And assume good faith in all you do."_

 _"And assume good faith in all you do."_

 _"'I will cherish our life together'..."_

 _"I will cherish our life together..."_

 _"'And love you more each day'..."_

 _"And love you more each day..."_

 _"'Than the day before'."_

 _"Than the day before."_

 _"'You are my best friend'..."_

 _"You are my best friend..."_

 _"'And I will stand by your side always'."_

 _"And I will stand by your side always."_

 _"'For better or worse'..."_

 _"For better or worse..."_

 _"'In sickness or in health'..."_

 _"In sickness or in health..."_

 _"'For all the days of my life'."_

 _"For all the days of my life."_

 _"Now, Seymour, please repeat after me: 'Audrey, from this day forward'..."_

 _"Audrey, from this day forward..."_

 _"'I promise you these things:'"_

 _"I promise you these things:"_

 _"'I will respect and nurture your independence'..."_

 _"I will respect and nurture your independence..."_

 _"'And support you as my partner in life'."_

 _"And support you as my partner in life."_

 _"'I will communicate fully and fearlessly'..."_

 _"I will communicate fully and fearlessly..."_

 _"'And listen to you with compassion and understanding'."_

 _"And listen to you with compassion and understanding."_

 _"'I will speak to you with encouragement'..."_

 _"I will speak to you with encouragement..."_

 _"'And about you with honor'."_

 _"And about you with honor."_

 _"'I will consider you in all decisions'..."_

 _"I will consider you in all decisions..."_

 _"'And assume good faith in all you do."_

 _"And assume good faith in all you do."_

 _"'I will cherish our life together'..."_

 _"I will cherish our life together..."_

 _"'And love you more each day'..."_

 _"And love you more each day..."_

 _"'Than the day before'."_

 _"Than the day before."_

 _"'You are my best friend'..."_

 _"You are my best friend..."_

 _"'And I will stand by your side always'."_

 _"And I will stand by your side always."_

 _"'For better or worse'..."_

 _"For better or worse..."_

 _"'In sickness or in health'..."_

 _"In sickness or in health..."_

 _"'For all the days of my life'."_

 _"For all the days of my life."_

 _Chiffon then called for the rings. Seymour took the gold ring with emeralds on it and slipped it onto my finger._

 _"As you place the ring onto Audrey's finger, please repeat after me: 'Audrey, I give you this ring'..."_

 _"Audrey, I give you this ring..."_

 _"'As a symbol of my love for you'."_

 _"As a symbol of my love for you."_

 _"'I promise to love you today'..."_

 _"I promise to love you today..."_

 _"'Tomorrow and always'."_

 _"Tomorrow and always."_

 _"'And I am honored to call you my wife'."_

 _"And I am honored to call you my wife."_

 _Chiffon then handed me the gold band, and I slipped it onto Seymour's finger._

 _"As you place the ring onto Seymour's finger, please repeat after me: 'Seymour, I give you this ring'..."_

 _"Seymour, I give you this ring..."_

 _"'As a symbol of my love for you'."_

 _"As a symbol of my love for you."_

 _"'I promise to love you today'..."_

 _"I promise to love you today..."_

 _"'Tomorrow and always'."_

 _"Tomorrow and always."_

 _"'And I am honored to call you my husband'."_

 _"And I am honored to call you my husband."_

 _"As you join hands, Seymour and Audrey, you came here today in the presence of family and friends here both physically and watching from Heaven to express your love for each other. May this love grow deeper, stronger and more beautiful each day that you share together. May you have many long years to delight in each other's company. May you always have a special appreciation for the life that you're building together, and never tire of the endless possibilities exploring your shared existence. And long, long years from now, may you look at one another and be able to say: 'With you, I have lived the life that I've always wanted to live. With you, I have become the person I've always longed to be."_

 _I looked down at mine and Seymour's joined hands before looking back up at him._

 _Chiffon then shared with everyone a closing greeting in the very true words of Neil Gaiman._

 _"'This is everything I have to tell you about love: nothing._

 _This is everything I've learned about marriage: nothing._

 _Only that the world out there is complicated,_

 _and there are beasts in the night, and delight and pain,_

 _and the only thing that makes it okay, sometimes,_

 _is to reach out a hand in the darkness and find another hand to squeeze,_

 _and not to be alone._

 _It's not two broken halves becoming one._

 _It's the light from a distant lighthouse bringing you both safely home_

 _because home is wherever you are both together._

 _So this is everything I have to tell you about love and marriage: nothing,_

 _like a book without pages or a forest without trees._

 _Because there are things you cannot know before you experience them._

 _Because no study can prepare you for the joys or the trials._

 _Because nobody else's love, nobody else's marriage, is like yours,_

 _and it's a road you can only learn by walking it,_

 _a dance you cannot be taught,_

 _a song that did not exist before you began, together, to sing._

 _And because in the darkness you will reach out a hand,_

 _not knowing for certain if someone else is even there._

 _And your hands will meet,_

 _and then neither of you will ever need to be alone again._

 _And that's all I know about love'."_

 _I exchanged a nod with Seymour. Every word had a profound meaning._

 _"With everything shared today, I honor your relationship and see so much beauty in it. And I'm sure everyone here will join with me in sending you both home blessed with the world and what it can possibly offer. And now, Audrey and Seymour, by the love that has brought you here today and the vows you exchanged with the integrity of your commitment in the witness of all your family and friends and the powers vested in Skid Row, I am happy to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."_

 _Seymour took me into his arms and dipped me down low for a passion filled kiss. Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered for us. Oh, I wish my father hadn't left us so he could have walked me down the aisle!_

 _End Flashback 1_

Now that I think about it, I can't choose which day is happier: my marriage to Seymour, or Elisa's birth. Nah, they're both equally special.

 _Flashback 2:_

 _"It hurts so much! I can't do it!"_

 _"Audrey, I know it hurts, but you must try." Ronette squeezed my hand._

 _"I just want this baby out now!"_

 _"Not much longer, Audrey..."_

 _"It's_ your _fault, Seymour!" I screeched._

 _"Just a few more, and you'll have this baby!" The nurse reassured me. "Ok, push on three. One... Two... Three!"_

 _After a few more pushes and screams, I heard the cries of a newborn baby._

 _"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Krelborn-Fulquard! It's a girl!"_

 _My tears of pain turned to tears of joy as I held my newborn daughter for the first time._

 _A few minutes later, the nurse went off to clean our baby. Seymour turned to me, placing a loving kiss on my lips._

 _"You did it, Audrey."_

 _"No, Seymour._ We _did it. I'm so sorry about those awful things I said to you."_

 _"It's ok, Audrey. You were in extreme pain, and it's natural."_

 _A few minutes later, the nurse came back and placed our baby girl back in my arms. I noticed that her hair was platinum blonde, just like mine._

 _"Oh, Seymour, she's perfect."_

 _"Audrey," Seymour looked down at me. "We never picked out a name."_

 _Our little one opened her eyes, and they were green, just like Seymour's. I guided the baby to my breast, where she latched on and started feeding._

 _"There's absolutely no way we're naming her Audrey Jr." I cringed, thinking back to the chaos that plant caused._

 _Seymour brightened, apparently having thought of a name._

 _"What do you think of Elisabeth? For short, we'll call her Elisa."_

 _My face lit up at the suggestion. "Oh, Seymour, I love it. How about Elisabeth Jeane?"_

 _Seymour put a hand over his heart. "Jeane? After your mother? I'm sure she would have loved that."_

 _"Elisabeth Jeane Krelborn-Fulquard, Elisa for short. I love it."_

 _Seymour then looked to me with concern. "Audrey, just last week, I saw a plant in our garden that looked suspiciously like Audrey 2. I got rid of it by electrocuting it, but I have concerns there may be others out there."_

 _I teared up. I didn't want to leave my dream home, but at the same time, we needed to leave if we wanted Elisa to be safe._

 _"Where are we going?"_

 _"I found a house in Moscow, Russia. It's very similar to our current one, but bigger. We'll leave as soon as we're discharged from the hospital."_

 _I nodded in agreement. Now that Seymour and I are parents, it's our responsibility to protect our child._

 _End Flashback 2_

I stifled a giggle thinking back to what exactly got baby Elisa to laugh for the first time.

 _Flashback 3:_

 _I was watching a funny cat video, giggling when the cat was chasing the dog around the yard and smacking its butt._

 _I then heard a tiny chirp from right next to me. I turned to see a big smile on my baby girl's face._

 _Elisa was laughing for the first time!_

 _"Seymour, come quick! Elisa's laughing!"_

 _Seymour bounded up the stairs and into the nursery to see our giggling little daughter standing up in her crib. He scooped up Elisa and kissed her all over her tiny face._

 _"That's my little princess!"_

 _End Flashback 3_

"Audrey," Seymour entered the kitchen. "Has Elisa come home yet?"

I heard a door open and close. "She is now."

Just then, Elisa entered the room.

"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad."

"Hey, sweetie." I hugged my daughter and kissed her on both cheeks. "How was school?"

"I had a nice day. They announced the cast over the intercom at the end of the day."

"Who are you playing?" Seymour asked.

Elisa beamed. "Ariel Moore!"

Seymour's jaw dropped, and I gasped in surprise before squealing.

"Oh, Elisa!"

Seymour and I wrapped our daughter in a hug.

"We're so proud of you, Elisa." Seymour kissed the top of her head.

"Not only that, but they've specifically asked you and Mom to play Shaw and Vi Moore."

Seymour's's jaw dropped again. "They want _us_ to play Ariel's parents?"

Elisa nodded. "They sure do. Hopefully sometime next week, Mrs. Miller will give us the rehearsal schedule, that way you can find out what days you need to be present for rehearsal. That way you can hopefully ask someone else to run the shop in your absence. Maybe Sakura's mom? She's very knowledgeable about flowers."

Seymour and I looked to each other before smiling at our daughter.

"We'd love to."

Elisa smiled back at us. "Thank you."

* * *

 **Sakura**

When I arrived home, I ran into the kitchen to find my parents.

"Mom! Dad! Guess what? They announced the cast for Footloose, and I'm playing Wendy Jo!"

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so proud of you!" Mom gushed, engulfing me in a hug.

"Well done, Cherry Blossom." Dad joined in.

My mind suddenly turned to Nathaniel. I've been feeling nervous around him, and my heart would beat faster when we were in each other's presence. I think this means one thing...

I've fallen for Nathaniel Kurtzberg.

* * *

 **Nathaniel**

I was very pleased to hear that I was playing Bickle, one of Ren's buddies. I may not have gotten the part of Ren, but at least I'm playing one of his close friends.

I've been thinking about Sakura more and more these past few days. It started after Ms. Bustier assigned her the seat next to me. Is it what I think it is? It can't be! It's too soon...

No, I can't deny it any longer.

I've fallen for Sakura Morris.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. It was a big one, and on top of that, I have college and other stories to deal with.**

 **On a different note, the wedding vows in Audrey's flashback were my cousin and cousin-in-law's wedding vows, and I found them so sweet.**

 **The next chapter will be Troublemaker, and I hope to have it out before 2020.**


	10. Troublemaker Causes Chaos

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 **Lily**

It was a lovely Sunday morning. I was going to stay in bed pretty much all day... Or so I thought.

"Lily, darling." My father knocked on my bedroom door. "They'll be broadcasting _Fill My Shoes_ in a few minutes. Please get dressed and come downstairs."

"I will, Dad!" I called before getting out of bed and looking in the mirror.

 **Lily:**

 _When you're a skinny child of fourteen,_

 _Wired with braces from ear to ear_

 _You doubt that you could ever be appealing._

 _Then, hallelujah, you are fifteen and the braces disappear_

 _And your skin is smooth and clear._

 _And you have that happy, grown-up_

 _Female feeling..._

I ran to my dresser to change out of my nightdress and into my rainbow dress and white shrug.

 **Lily:**

 _How lovely to be a woman!_

 _The wait was well worthwhile._

 _How lovely to wear mascara_

 _And smile a woman's smile._

 _How lovely to have a figure_

 _That's round instead of flat._

 _Whenever you hear boys whistle,_

 _You're what they're whistling at!_

 _It's wonderful to feel_

 _The way a woman feels._

 _It gives you such a glow_

 _Just to know_

 _You're wearing lipstick and heels._

I slipped on my purple flats.

 **Lily:**

 _How lovely to be a woman_

 _And have one job to do:_

 _To pick out a boy and train him_

 _And then when you are through,_

 _You've made him the man you want him_

 _To be!_

 _Life's lovely when you're a woman_

 _Like me!_

I put a small part of my lilac purple hair into a bun.

 **Lily:**

 _How wonderful to know_

 _The things a woman knows._

 _How marvelous to wait_

 _For a date_

 _In simply beautiful clothes._

I then hooked my necklace around my neck.

 **Lily:**

 _How lovely to be a woman_

 _And change from boys to men!_

 _To go to a fancy nightclub_

 _And stay out after ten!_

 _How lovely to be so grown up_

 _And free!_

 _Life's lovely when you're a woman_

 _Like me!_

I did a twirl before exiting my bedroom. As I shut the door, I heard Mom call out to me.

"Lily! Sweetheart, they're about to cut in on the Dupain-Cheng Bakery! You'd better hurry if you want to see Marinette on TV!"

I ran downstairs to join my parents, sitting in between them on the couch. Alec Cataldi was on TV, introducing a program.

"Welcome to _Fill My Shoes_! You're joining us live in a new episode, and our guest today is the one and only _Jagged Stone_!"

"Rock and Roll, yeah!" Jagged Stone sang as he appeared onscreen, playing air guitar. He looked pretty funny in a baker's apron.

"Filling the shoes of...a baker!" Alec threw a grandiose gesture to Jagged.

"Yo, Rockers!" Jagged made a gesture with both hands.

"And a big thanks to Tom Dupain for having us here in his bakery, the best in Paris, I might add."

Mr. Dupain-Cheng appeared onscreen, smiling nervously. "Uhh...hello!" He hesitantly waved at the camera.

* * *

 **Elisa**

In my room, Suuiren and I were watching the _Fill My Shoes_ broadcast live on my laptop.

"Remind me why were watching this again...?"

"Suuiren, they're filming this episode live at Marinette's place. I'd like to support her from afar." I explained.

"So Jagged, how does it feel to fill the baker's shoes today?" Alec Cataldi asked as Mr. Dupain-Cheng waved nervously at the camera.

"It's awesome! Check out this edible guitar I made from scratch." Jagged picked up a guitar made out of bread and mimed playing it. "This is so rock 'n' roll!" He then sang "Flour, eggs and butter!" To the tune of 'Smoke on the Water'.

I giggled sheepishly while Suuiren laughed her little head off. She was obviously enjoying this.

Mr. Dupain-Cheng joined in with Jagged. " _Flour, eggs and butter! And fire in the oven... This is the baker's rock 'n' roll!_ "

Much to my amusement, Alec looked uncomfortable squished in between Jagged and Mr. Dupain-Cheng.

"Yo, Marinette! My favorite little lady, come over and rock out with us!"

As I caught a glimpse of a smiling Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, Marinette hesitantly walked over to stand next to Jagged, nervously waving at the camera. Jagged put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's so cool that we get to spend the day together. Marinette's really talented, Alec; she did the artwork for my latest album, and she's only in high school!"

The cover of Jagged's album Rock Giant appeared briefly at the bottom left of the screen.

Wow, Marinette designed an album cover?! Damn, I can't believe I never knew about that!

At that moment, my cell phone buzzed. It was a text from Lily!

 _'Hey, Elisa. I'm texting you because I don't want my parents knowing about this. Can we talk girl to girl?'_

"Wow, Elisa." Suuiren hovered beside me, examining the text. "If Lily wants to say to you what she wants to say via text, then she clearly wants to keep it a secret from everyone else."

"And sometimes secrets are important." I agreed. "That is why I'm going to keep this conversation with Lily text only." I then sent a reply.

 _'Hey, Lily. Of course we can talk about this through text messaging. Tell me what you have to say. I'm listening.'_

Within half a minute, Lily replied again.

 _'You see, Elisa, I'm not exactly... you know... straight. I like both boys and girls.'_

I nodded before sending a reply.

 _'Oh, that's perfectly fine. I have no problems with people of another sexual orientation. Anyone in particular?'_

 _'Sakura.'_ Lily texted back. _'I have a... fondness for Sakura, and I don't know what to say or how to talk to her about this.'_

 _'It's ok. Take your time, and think of how you want to approach the situation.'_

 _'Thank you, Elisa. I'm so happy that we're friends.'_

 _'Me too, Lily.'_

With that, I turned my phone off, set it down and looked back up at my laptop screen. The commercial break had come and gone, and they were now filming in... Marinette's room?

Alec Cataldi was back onscreen.

"And we're back on the air with Jagged Stone filling the shoes of a baker. Let's see how this rockstar cleans off all that flour."

At that moment, I noticed that Marinette had multiple pictures of Adrien on her wall! What?!

At the same time, ironically, Jagged also noticed them.

"Hey, there are more photos of this dude than of me! I think the baker's daughter's got a little crush." He then winked as the camera zoomed in on the pictures of Adrien. "Aw, teenage love is so sweet! Makes me wanna write a song."

"I had no idea Marinette had that many pictures of Adrien in her room. She's _definitely_ got a crush."

"Certainly seems that way to me." Suuiren agreed.

"Heh," I snickered. "Knowing Marinette, she's seeing this, and she's probably overreacting. 'Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no, no, no! This is a disaster! A disaster! A disaster!'"

"Elisa, it's not nice to mock your friends." Suuiren gently chided me.

"I know, Suuiren, but Dupain-Cheng _really_ needs to get a grip."

Little did I know that I was right, and Marinette really was overreacting right now.

* * *

 **Marinette**

As I was cleaning up downstairs, I noticed that they were filming in my bedroom! And what's worse is that... Gasp! I forgot to take down the pictures of Adrien!

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" I made a break for the stairs.

"Marinette?" Mom called after me.

I kept yelling 'no' over and over as Tikki emerged from my purse, trying to reassure me.

"Keep calm, Marinette; it's not a big deal."

"Of course it is! This is a major disaster! I told everyone in school to watch today's show, including Adrien! He's gonna see all those photos and figure out I'm in love with him!" I stopped halfway up the stairs to my room with my fists clenched.

"But isn't that what you want?" Tikki asked.

Yes, but...

"No! Not like this!" I then burst into my room. "What're you guys doing in here?!"

"I'm sorry, Marinette." Penny apologized. "I couldn't find the restroom."

"Hey Marinette, you want me to sign this poster of me?" Jagged asked, pointing to the poster and holding up one of my pink dresses.

"No! I just need everyone to leave!" I then addressed the cameraman and then Penny. "And you, stop filming! Penny, do something!"

Penny nodded. "You heard the lady." She firmly addressed everyone. With that, she herded everyone towards the door.

* * *

 **Elisa**

Suddenly, the show was cut off, and now a car commercial was playing.

"This cannot be good, Elisa. Somebody's most definitely getting akumatized." Suuiren shook her head.

I then heard a knock on my door.

"Elisa?" It was Dad. "Are you going to start learning your Footloose songs? I got an email from Mrs. Miller saying that you guys will get your scripts and have your read-through on Friday."

"Tomorrow, Dad, first thing when I get home from school!"

"Ok, sweetie!" Dad called back. As he walked away from my bedroom door, I heard him mock the plant that had terrorized him and Mom in a high pitched voice.

"I'm just uh mean green mudda fro outah space an' I'm bad..."

I rushed to the door and opened it, calling after my father.

"Dad?"

"Yes?" My father came to stand at the bottom of the stairs.

"I've heard you mock that plant several times. It's funny when you do it, but why do you do it so much?"

Dad sighed. "I should have known from the start that the damn plant was up to no good."

"But the clues were in plain sight! When that plant started talking and demanding blood, that was your cue to get rid of it!"

Dad climbed up the stairs and put his hands on my shoulders. "Elisa, the main reason why I was so oblivious to the plant's evil scheme was because we were in the slums of Skid Row, we were poor, and I realized that I had a get rich quick opportunity. If I hadn't electrocuted that plant in time, your mother would have been doomed, and I probably would have died too. I thank myself each and every day that I was able to destroy the alien plant so your mother and I could get married and have you."

With that, Dad embraced me in a warm hug, and I hugged my father back. After nearly a minute, we separated.

"I have to go help your mother in the shop. Go hang out in your room, and we'll call you down when lunch is ready."

I nodded and watched as Dad went downstairs to help Mom.

When I returned to my room, the show was live again, and there was chaos in the Dupain-Cheng Bakery.

"Elisa, you might want to come see this..." Suuiren waved me over.

I shut and locked my door before sitting down at my laptop.

"Sure your bakery ain't built on an ancient cemetery?" Questioned Bob Roth, Jagged's producer.

At that moment, a strange person in black, white and pink phased down from the ceiling and put an arm around Jagged.

"Hello, Jagged." Said the strange person. I gasped in dismay, instantly recognizing the voice. It was Penny corrupted by Hawk Moth!

"Whoa!" Jagged recoiled in shock, panicking. "Who are you?! Where's Penny?! Penny!"

"There's no more Penny to deal with all your problems, Jagged! From now on, there's only Troublemaker!" She clicked her pen twice. "And I'll make your life nothing but problems!" She laughed evilly, and I narrowed my eyes in determination.

Enough was said there. I turned off my laptop and slammed it shut.

"Oh, no!" Suuiren hovered in front of me. "I had a feeling something would go wrong."

"We need to bring Penny back to her senses." I agreed. "Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

I transformed into Crystal Cygne and made a beeline for the Dupain-Cheng Bakery.

* * *

 **Sakura**

"Oh, blast..." Fluff smacked her forehead. "And Hawk Moth is at it again."

I had been watching the live broadcast of _Fill My Shoes_ , and I had a nagging feeling something would go wrong. Penny Rolling just became Hawk Moth's latest victim. When I heard the akuma alarms going off downstairs, I knew I had to join the fray.

"Time to transform. Fluff, hop to it!"

I transformed into Cottontail and headed for the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. I just hope Marinette is ok...

* * *

 **Elisa**

By the time I arrived at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, I crossed paths with Cottontail.

"Crystal, I'm so glad to see you."

"Me too."

"Let's take down Troublemaker and bring Penny back to normal, shall we, bestie?"

I sighed. "Stop it, Cottontail. We're not BFF's." I then spotted Cat Noir nearby. "Look, there's Cat Noir!"

He prepared his Cataclysm, only to be stopped by Troublemaker.

"So you wanna play rescue? No one's gonna be rescued today!"

She then threw Cat Noir by the arm into the side of a nearby van, but he was luckily pulled up by Ladybug's yo-yo. Cottontail and I joined our teammates on Marinette's balcony.

"Right on time, Cat Noir." Ladybug remarked, both hands on her hips.

"Yeah," Cottontail sassed. "If Ladybug showed up any later, one of us would've had to save your butt."

Now that Ladybug was on the scene, we could all plan our course of action.

"Good to see you, Bugaboo." Cat Noir said, relaxing in Marinette's lounge chair. "Looks like we're gonna break bread today, huh?"

Ladybug shook her head. "Stop calling me 'Bugaboo'!" She then jumped down from the railing. "Follow me!"

The four of us then entered Marinette's room through the skylight, and Cat Noir was the last to come in. Sitting on all fours on Marinette's bed, he noticed the pictures of the class and Adrien. Looks like these were taken before Sakura, Luka and I joined.

"Oh, wow!" Cat Noir remarked. "That's a lot of pictures!"

"We can take the grand tour later, Cat Noir." Ladybug turned Cat Noir's face, diverting his gaze from the pictures.

I saw Troublemaker enter the room with four knitting needles in her hand.

"Look out!" I cried, pointing at Troublemaker as she threw the needles at us.

Cat Noir reacted by lifting up Marinette's mattress to protect us. Underneath it was more pictures of Adrien. Ladybug immediately pushed the mattress back down, sending Cat Noir tumbling to the floor.

"Sorry!" Ladybug apologized as we jumped down to join Cat Noir.

Troublemaker threw Marinette's parasol, but Ladybug dodged and retaliated by throwing her yo-yo. Troublemaker clicked her pen and became transparent so the yo-yo went right through her before solidifying again.

The villain hurled Marinette's chaise lounge, and all four of us dodged. Cat Noir peeled off a picture of a smiling Adrien from his face.

"I said later, Cat Noir!" A very annoyed Ladybug plucked the photo from Cat Noir's hands.

Troublemaker threw a trunk at Ladybug from behind, knocking her over. Cat Noir and Cottontail took a swing with their staff and katana, but Troublemaker became transparent to avoid both blows. She then disappeared through the floor and reappeared in the room behind Ladybug, going for the earrings.

"Look out!"

After that cry from Cat Noir, he split his staff and tripped Ladybug, causing her to fall to the floor and away from Troublemaker's reach. I then hit Troublemaker with my scepter, causing her pen to go flying and land on the floor.

"She uses the pen to make herself untouchable and then solid again!" I alerted my teammates.

"I'm positive that's where the akuma is!" Ladybug agreed.

The five of us dove for the pen, but Troublemaker grabbed it first. We only had our hands over it milliseconds later.

"Touch me if you dare!" Troublemaker clicked the pen and phased through the floor, leaving the four of us on our stomachs.

"What're we gonna do?" Cat Noir asked. "I can't touch her with a ten-foot pole even if I wanted to!"

I stood up and helped Cottontail to her feet. "Her strength is also her weakness. In order to touch us, she must become touchable herself!"

Ladybug smirked. "You took the words right out of my mouth, Crystal." She and Cat Noir stood up, still grasping each other's hands from our attempt to grab the pen.

"You're holding hands!" I sing-songed.

Ladybug groaned and Cottontail stifled a laugh.

"Oh, uh, there you are." Cat Noir let go of Ladybug's hand and put her arm down at her side. "All right!" The four of us ran down the hatch and into the Dupain-Cheng living room.

* * *

 **Sakura**

Once we made it to the living room, we were all on the lookout for Troublemaker.

"Be careful!" Ladybug warned. "She's probably hiding somewhere in this room! If she wants to take our Miraculous, she can't be untouchable."

Cat Noir narrowed his eyes. "And if we can grab her, we can also grab her pen."

"And capture the akuma!" Crystal Cygne added. "But we'll have to act fast!"

Hearing something from above, I gasped and pointed to the ceiling. "Up there!"

As if on cue, Troublemaker phased down through the ceiling and solidified, landing between us and kicking Ladybug away. She reached for Crystal Cygne's necklace, but I kicked her back before she could take it. She then lunged for Cat Noir and pinned his hand behind his back in an attempt to snatch his ring.

Ladybug reacted by wrapping her yo-yo around Cat Noir and Troublemaker, but the latter clicked her pen and became transparent, causing the string to fall away and return to the yo-yo.

Troublemaker solidified again, kicked Cat Noir away, and flung Crystal Cygne into the wall. The supervillain became transparent yet again to jump through Ladybug, clicking her pen again to bounce off the wall and pin Ladybug to the floor.

"Ladybug, no!" Crystal Cygne cried out.

I gasped in shock when I saw Troublemaker snatch one of Ladybug's earrings!

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Come on, Cottontail. Think..."

I then noticed a pink glow coming from my belt. I held up a wish card and got an idea.

Looking back to my teammates, I saw that Ladybug had gotten her earring back, Cat Noir had his Cataclysm active, and that Troublemaker was nowhere in sight.

Crystal Cygne and I ran over to check on Ladybug.

"Are you all right?" Crystal Cygne asked.

"I'm ok, Crystal."

"That was a close call." Cat Noir remarked as he joined us. "Certainly not how I dreamed we'd share our secret identity. Oh no, not like that!"

Ladybug smiled warmly. "It'll have to wait, at least until we kick Trouble's butt, and Hawk Moth!"

"That goes for us too, Cottontail." Crystal Cygne winked at me.

Ladybug called her Lucky Charm and received a broken plate.

While Ladybug and Cat Noir ran to another part of the room, Crystal Cygne pointed at the card I was holding.

"Cottontail, your wish card is glowing! What are you going to do this time?"

"I already have an idea, Crystal. Just watch!"

I chanted a Japanese incantation and changed my appearance drastically. I still had my mask and rabbit ears, but my hair turned platinum blonde and left its ponytail. My body suit changed into a poofed out pink dress, and I was now barefoot. My eyes also changed from brown to red. My weapon also changed from a katana to a staff.

"Oh, wow, Cottontail! You look amazing!"

"Crystal, as long as I am in this form, I insist that you call me Priestess Tail. And for the record, doesn't this give you Shazam vibes?"

"Shazam...?" Crystal Cygne tilted her head. "Doesn't ring a bell. So... What kind of powers do you have this time?"

"My staff can slow Troublemaker down and make it easier to capture the akuma. Also, I can now touch her, even if she is untouchable. And furthermore, my staff radiates a demon repellant aura."

"Demon? But Troublemaker isn't a demon."

"Well, akuma is Japanese for 'demon', so you catch my drift, right?"

"Oh!" Crystal Cygne's face lit up. "I get it now."

At that moment, Ladybug and Cat Noir returned to where Crystal Cygne and I were.

"I hope your plan works, Ladybug."

The spotted heroine smirked. "Oh, trust me, rabbit ears. It will."

The four of us burst through the trapdoor to Marinette's room, and Cat Noir held out his Cataclysm like a police officer would hold a gun.

"All right! We're comin' to get you!"

I then noticed that the plate Ladybug was holding was no longer broken, and it was glued together. Something tells me glue is part of the plan.

"Be careful!" Ladybug warned. "She could come from _anywhere_ to get my Miraculous!"

Cat Noir scanned the room for a few moments. "She's nowhere to be seen. Crystal Cygne and I will check on the roof. Stay here!" He then headed up to the skylight with Crystal Cygne.

"No!" Ladybug pleaded. "Don't leave me here alone! I only have a plate to defend myself!"

"Ladybug, it's ok. You also have me." I put a hand on her shoulder.

Ladybug smiled gratefully. "I'm glad I have you three as partners."

"Look out!" I pointed at the ceiling.

As if on cue, a cackling Troublemaker phased through the ceiling and solidified. I smacked her away with my scepter, and the force sent her into the wall as if she were a baseball and the scepter was a bat. Troublemaker growled angrily and charged at us. She kicked me into the wall and Ladybug threw the plate, only for it to miss and shatter on the floor. Troublemaker then pinned Ladybug to the floor and grabbed onto both earrings.

"Stop!" I pleaded.

Troublemaker tried to take off Ladybug's earrings, but was confused to see that she couldn't take them off or pull her hands away.

"What?"

Ladybug grabbed onto Troublemaker's arms and smirked. "Having some trouble?" She asked mockingly.

I beamed, now understanding what the glue was for.

I then noticed Cat Noir and a snickering Crystal Cygne sitting on the loft railing.

"Aw, my poor Bugaboo!" Cat Noir said, faking sympathy as Crystal Cygne held up the glue bottle. "Another supervillain fan has literally glued themselves to you. Sorry to disappoint, but _I'm_ the only one to stick to M'Lady!" He and Crystal Cygne then jumped down to the floor.

Crystal Cygne and I held Troublemaker still as Cat Noir grabbed the pen in his Cataclysm hand, destroying it and releasing the akuma.

"No!" Troublemaker cried out in dismay as she slumped to the floor, turning back into Penny.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma." Ladybug opened up her yo-yo to catch the akuma, swinging it. "Time to de-evilize!" She then caught the akuma with her yo-yo. "Gotcha!" Finally, she opened her yo-yo again, releasing the purified akuma. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." She then threw the plate into the air with a yell of "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The Miraculous Wave brought everything in the room back to normal, and whatever chaos that was caused downstairs was fixed too.

"Wha...?" Penny glanced around, confused. "What happened? Where's Jagged?"

"You got upset, and Hawk Moth took advantage of it." I explained.

"You're always so helpful, putting everyone before you." Ladybug knelt down and put her hands on Penny's shoulders. "Let's worry about Penny for a change. How are _you_ feeling?"

Penny let out an exhale she seemed to be holding in for a while. "I'm fine. Thank you, Ladybug."

Ladybug was about to say something else, but her earrings beeped. "Whoops! Gotta go! Rock and roll!"

Crystal Cygne made the rocker gesture with both hands as she followed Ladybug up through the skylight.

"Rock and roll!" Cat Noir said as the two of us copied the gesture and followed our teammates up to the skylight.

Ladybug, Cat Noir and I jumped to stand on the railing, and Crystal Cygne hovered in the air.

"Whew!" Ladybug sighed in relief, twirling her yo-yo. "Well, that was a close call! Looks like you guys won't find out my true identity today!"

"I already know who you are." Cat Noir said, smiling warmly.

"Huh?!" Ladybug cried out anxiously.

Cat Noir leaned in, gazing coyly at Ladybug. "You're the girl of my dreams."

Ladybug giggled. "Silly kitty!"

"And you," I winked at Crystal Cygne. "Are my best friend forever. You just don't want to admit it yet."

Crystal Cygne rolled her eyes. "Stinker."

"Pound it!" We did our signature four-way fist bump before parting ways.

* * *

 **Elisa**

I landed on my balcony, opening the doors and entering my room. I shut the doors just as I transformed back. I plucked a couple of petals from one of the honeysuckles from the vase by my bedroom window, feeding them to Suuiren.

"Here, Suuiren. Take a nice long rest. You deserve it."

The minute I came downstairs, I was hugged and kissed by my parents.

"Elisa, where've you been? We had your lunch ready, you weren't in your room, and there was an akuma-"

"Mom, I'm all right. Crystal Cygne took me somewhere safe."

"I'm relieved to hear that. Now come on, sweetheart. Your lunch is ready."

* * *

 **Sakura**

When I returned to my room and transformed back, I sighed.

"Fluff, I understand why keeping my identity a secret from my friends and family is important, but why won't Crystal Cygne tell me who she is? I mean, come on! We're part of a team!"

"It's not just for her own safety, but for your own safety and the safety of your teammates as well." Fluff explained. "If Hawk Moth found out that someone knew your identity, he could use them as leverage. Just remember that not only is Crystal Cygne trying to protect herself, but she's also trying to protect you, Ladybug and Cat Noir."

I sighed. "Yeah, Fluff, you're right."

* * *

 **Elisa**

At school the next day, I met up with Luka in the girls' locker room before first period. I ran into his arms, and he held me like I was going to disappear if he let go of me.

"Elisa! I'm so glad you're ok!"

I laughed. "Oh, Luka, you worry a little too much. I'll tell you more later."

At that moment, Adrien entered.

"Hey, Elisa. Hey, Luka." He waved to us.

"Good morning, Adrien." We both said to him.

Wait, why is Adrien in the girls' locker room? Hmm...

I leaned into Luka's ear and whispered, "Something tells me he's going to hide and wait for Marinette."

As Marinette stealthily entered, Luka and I pretended to talk to one another while watching her out of the corner of our eyes.

"Phew!" Marinette let out a huge sigh of relief as she opened her locker and put her backpack on the upper shelf. "Hopefully, he didn't see me!"

Only too bad for her, because when she shut her locker door, she was startled to see Adrien standing there and waving at her.

"Hey, Marinette!"

Marinette screamed, and Luka and I covered our mouths to stifle our laughter.

"How's it going? After what happened at your place last night, I was worried that-"

"Oh, so you watched the show, then!" Marinette interrupted Adrien, laughing nervously. "Well, uh, look...about what you saw on the show last night... the totographs, in my room-"

"You mean the photographs?" Adrien corrected.

"The grotographs, exactly! It-it's not what you think." Marinette paused. "See...I'm really into fashion, and, umm..."

I rolled my eyes. I then saw Adrien lean in close to Marinette with a piercing yet mischievous glare.

"Are you lying?"

I knew Marinette was lying as well. What the heck, Dupain-Cheng?!

"No!" Marinette pushed him back. "I'm so not into you... I mean, sure, I'm interested in you, but, um, not in that way; well, you know... " She then burst out laughing.

Adrien chuckled. "Just teasing." He then draped an arm over Marinette's shoulder. "I understand; don't worry. I've got used to having lots of fans...and, photographs of me everywhere; even in the most unlikely places."

Marinette laughed again. "As if someone would have a picture of you under her bed, right?"

Adrien took his arm from around Marinette. "Yeah. I was wondering; since you're into fashion so much, you could come watch my next photo shoot!"

I facepalmed as Marinette jumbled over her words yet again.

"Honestly, it's pretty long and boring, but if you were there, it would definitely be more fun! Whaddaya say?"

Marinette beamed. "Oh wow! Yes! Thank you, Adrien."

"I'll keep you posted, then. See you in a few minutes!" Adrien stopped to acknowledge us. "You too, Elisa and Luka." He stopped in front of the door, turning to Marinette again. "I'm glad to have you as one of my fans."

Once Adrien was out of the locker room, I gave Marinette the 'I'm watching you' gesture before leaving with Luka.

* * *

 **Lily**

I walked to my French history class and took my seat. The bell rang, and Mr. Thompson started the class.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning, Mr. Thompson."

When the teacher mentioned us doing a week-long American history unit, we were confused. I raised my hand.

"Yes, Lily?"

"Mr. Thompson, if this is a French history class, then why are we talking about American history?"

"That is a good question, Miss Robinson. You see, the French and the Americans have a long history with each other. During the French and Indian War, the French allied with Native Americans to fight against the British. To raise money for the war and and cover the expenses of administering the colonies, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act. And what did the Sugar Act do?"

Shane raised his hand.

"Shane?"

"The Sugar Act taxed sugar, wine, coffee and other products that were commonly exported to the colonies."

"That is correct. Now, due to colonial depression post the French and Indian War, the colonists did not tolerate these taxes. It only got worse in 1765 when Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which required all paper items bought and sold in the colonies carry a stamp mandated by the British Crown. Now there is a term for when you are taxed and you don't get a say in the matter. What is that called?"

Anita raised her hand.

"Yes, Anita?"

"Taxation without representation."

"That is correct. Well done, Anita! Taxation without representation is basically when they tax you without allowing you a voice. Now, tensions continued to mount, one thing led to another, and eventually the Revolutionary War broke out. What was the last straw before the Revolutionary War?"

"The Intolerable Acts!" I said with the rest of the class.

"That's right. The Coercive Acts of 1774, appropriately titled the Intolerable Acts by the colonists, ultimately spelled the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Now the Revolutionary War is not a main subject for this unit, but other things will be addressed. What month, day and year was the Declaration of Independence signed?"

Valerie raised her hand.

"Valerie?"

"July 4, 1776."

"That's right. July 4 became known as Independence Day in the United States because of that very reason. Great Britain no longer controlled the colonies, and the colonies were now their own country. Can one of you tell me exactly what a republic is?"

Mia raised her hand.

"Mia?"

"A republic is a representative democracy."

"That is correct. Great job, Miss Monarrez. The ultimate goal of the Founding Fathers was to create a republic with democratic principles. After the Declaration of Independence came the Articles of Confederation. Can one of you name the weaknesses that were in the Articles of Confederation?"

"Well," I spoke up. "They didn't have a president at the time."

Mr. Thompson nodded. "That was one of the weaknesses, Miss Robinson. Any other weaknesses you guys can name?"

"The Continental Congress had borrowed money to fight the Revolutionary War and could not pay it back."

"That is correct, Mister Monarrez. Any others?"

"They didn't have a Judicial Branch either."

"Right again, Miss Mezvinsky. There are three more weaknesses. What were they?"

"Changing a law required the consent of all 13 colonies."

"Right on target, Mister Vermeer. Two more!"

"Congress didn't have the power to tax and couldn't regulate trade."

"Supreme, Miss Woodard! One more."

Olivia's hand shot into the air.

"Miss Arclight?"

"The national government couldn't support a national currency."

"Great job! Can someone tell me what led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787?"

I raised my hand.

"Lily?"

"Shays's Rebellion. Basically, Daniel Shays led a group of farmers in stopping the State court of Massachusetts from foreclosing on the veterans' farms. As a result, that got the government to recognize their own inadequacies."

"Well done, Lily! Now, at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Articles of Confederation were reviewed, and in March of that year, there was a heated debate. The Virginia and New Jersey Plans failed because of one issue. At the time, representation in Congress was a big problem. What did they use to solve that issue?"

Charles raised his hand.

"Charles?"

"The Great Compromise."

"You are correct. Representation in Congress was the subject of the Great Compromise. Even then, there was a stalemate. It wasn't until the Three-Fifths Compromise that they came up with the idea of a President of the United States. Now can someone tell me the difference between Federalists and Anti-Federalists?"

Jack raised his hand.

"Jack?"

"The Federalists supported the Constitution, and the Anti-Federalists did not."

"You are spot on, Mister Alvarez. Three well-known Federalists were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. They wrote what became known as the Federalist Papers, which was their support of ratifying the U.S. Constitution. The debates finally ended when a very important document was suggested. What was it?"

Sharon raised her hand.

"Yes, Sharon?"

"The Bill of Rights."

"Good job, Miss Miller. The Bill of Rights were basically the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution." Mr. Thompson then pointed to Anita. "Miss Woodard, can you explain to the class what the First and Second Amendments involve?"

"Well," Said Anita. "The First Amendment is the freedom of speech, religion, the right to assemble, and so on. The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms, basically carry a gun."

"You guys are on fire! Somebody tell me what implied powers are."

Kayla raised her hand.

"Miss Norris?"

"Implied powers are the powers of the national government derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause."

"Excellent job, Kayla! Somebody define separation of powers for me."

Olivia raised her hand.

"Olivia?"

"It divides the power between the three branches of government: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. That system is called checks and balances."

"Well done." Mr. Thompson then noticed that Charles had raised his hand.

"Yes, Charles?"

"What about local government?"

"Regarding local government, there was something called Dillon's Rule enacted by Judge John F. Dillon in 1868. Dillon's Rule states that all local governments must be authorized by the state governments." Mr Thompson explained.

"Gotcha." Charles nodded.

Half an hour later, the bell rang. As we left for second period, I realized that Mr. Thompson had an interesting reason for implementing this week-long American history unit.

* * *

 **Sakura**

There are some days in which I prefer to walk home from school, and today's one of them. I had already called my parents and let them know I didn't need our chauffeur to pick me up today.

I had arrived at the Morris mansion gate and was about to punch in the code, when I heard someone's voice address me.

"Hello, Cottontail."

I gasped, looking down to see a short elderly man in a red shirt with white flowers. How does he know my secret identity?!

"How do you know that I'm-"

"I'll tell you in private. Do you mind us talking in your room?"

"Um... Sure. Who are you anyway?"

"Don't worry." The elderly man reassured me. "For now, tell your parents that I'm Mr. Chan, and that I'll be your private meditation instructor."

I nodded. "Will do." I then entered the code and entered the mansion with the elderly man.

"Welcome home, dear." Mom greeted me.

"Sakura, who's this?" Dad asked, having come out of his meditation session.

"Mom, Dad, this is Mr. Chan. He runs a massage shop in the city. He'll be giving me a meditation lesson."

"Sakura, I can teach you. Besides, it's about time you joined me in meditation anyway."

"Dad, it's ok. I want to do it knowing what to do. Mr. Chan is going to show me the basics, and when I get the hang of it, I'll start meditating with you."

I then headed upstairs with the elderly man. We then entered my bedroom, and I shut the door, locking it.

Fluff flew out of my kimono and over to the man.

"Sakura, I'd like to officially introduce you to Master Fu, the last Guardian of the Miraculous."

My eyes widened. "Is this the same Master Fu you mentioned on the flight to Paris?"

"Yup." Fluff replied.

From his bag, Master Fu pulled out seven small glass bottles, each containing a different colored liquid.

"When a kwami is fed a certain blend of ingredients, he or she can grant special powers. For example, the blue potion can give you ice abilities, and the green potion can give you the ability to swim and breathe underwater. But kwamis are forbidden to know the recipes, should they be captured by a villain like Hawk Moth."

I nodded, taking the bottles. "A very wise precaution. If a kwami knew the recipes and the villain were to force it out of the kwami, it could spell disaster."

"Another important thing, Sakura." Master Fu went on. "You need to find a way to keep those potions with you at all times."

My face lit up. "That's it! Maybe, for the ice transformation, I can put a few drops of the blue potion in a blue piece of mochi! Same for the water transformation and the green mochi. You know how it would go."

Master Fu smiled. "You always have bright ideas, Sakura."

I nodded. "Thanks. Now, I would like to actually keep up the pretense of you giving me meditation lessons. I don't want Dad to suspect anything, and I'm sure you don't either."

Master Fu sat cross legged on the floor, and I sat down on the other side of him.

"Now, the most important thing you need to know about meditation is..."

* * *

 **Elisa**

The minute I got home from school, I had started to watch videos of other school productions of Footloose so I could start coming up with my own interpretation of Ariel Moore.

"You know, Elisa, Adrien is modeling a special hat made by Marinette at the Gabriel Agreste fashion show this weekend. Are you going?"

Just as I was about to answer Suuiren's question, my cell phone rang. I was surprised to see who was calling.

"Melandra...?"

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to talk to Melandra. I just didn't expect her to call me all of a sudden.

I paused the video I was watching and answered the phone with a smile. "Hey, Melandra! What's up?"

Instead of a reply, I heard sobbing on the other end of the line.

I frowned. "Melandra?"

"Oh, Elisa..."

"Melandra? Are you ok? Why are you crying?"

"She's dead! _She's dead!_ " Melandra screamed.

I winced, holding the phone away from my ear at the screaming. Wait, who's dead?

"Who?" I asked, putting the phone back to my ear.

"Meta... My little sister... She was... run over by a truck... while playing in the street. Mom and Dad... tried to warn her... But they... were too late!" Melandra wept uncontrollably.

I let out a choked gasp, putting my other hand to my mouth. "Oh, Melandra... I'm so sorry..."

"They found her dead body... On the lawn of the... Monarrez family home."

In the background, I could hear Melandra's mother shrieking and crying. "She's not God's little girl. She's _my_ little girl! Let God get his own girl if he wants one. Not Meta! Not my Meta!"

Tears began to well up in my own eyes. "Oh. I can only imagine how I'd feel if I lost my parents. I may be an only child, but I understand your pain." I then got an idea. "Melandra, I'm going to call up two of my friends and my boyfriend, and we're coming over."

"Oh, Elisa, please don't..."

"I'm not taking no for an answer. We'll see you in a bit."

I hung up and called Luka, drying my face.

* * *

 **Luka**

I was getting ready to take a nap when my cell phone rang. Seeing it was my girlfriend calling, I picked up immediately.

"Hey, love."

"Now that we're not at school, I can tell you now. Troublemaker was a bit of a doozy. Had it not been for Cottontail pulling out a wish card, we probably would've been goners."

When I saw the akuma in the Dupain-Cheng bakery, I had been worried for Marinette as well. At least everyone came out fine.

Yet when she spoke, I could tell something was up.

"My Love, did something happen to you?"

Elisa let out a sigh. "Not me. Melandra."

I tilted my head in confusion. "Melandra? Did Chloé bully her?"

"Nu-uh. It's worse. Her little sister was run over by a passing truck. She didn't survive."

I gasped in shock. Melandra's little sister died?! I cringed at the thought of losing Juleka in a circumstance like that.

"That's awful. Are you going to comfort her?"

"Yes." Elisa replied. "As a matter of fact, I'm going to need you, Adrien and Sakura to come with me to the Kinsey place. Do you know that song from that Coco movie?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

* * *

 **Elisa**

Half an hour later, Luka and I were with Melandra in her room, alongside Sakura and Adrien.

"Meta was taken from us far too soon. She won't get to grow up, she won't graduate high school..."

As Sakura talked reassuringly to Melandra, I noticed her parents in the doorway.

"I've had enough of this." Mr. Kinsey was ready to march into the room and kick us all out. "We've suffered a great loss, and I would like us all to mourn by ourselves..."

"Dave..." Mrs. Kinsey stopped her husband. "Wait."

As Adrien played the first few notes on the piano, I started singing. Sakura and Luka picked up their instruments.

 **Elisa:**

 _Remember me._

 _Though I have to say goodbye,_

 _Remember me._

 _Don't let it make you cry._

"Too late..." Melandra whimpered.

 **Elisa:**

 _For even if I'm far away,_

 _I hold you in my heart._

 _I sing a secret song to you_

 _Each night we are apart._

I gave Sakura and Luka the cue to play their violin and guitar.

 **Elisa:**

 _Remember me._

 _Though I have to travel far,_

Melandra looked at me with a sad smile and sang along with me. Mr. and Mrs. Kinsey also had bittersweet smiles on their faces.

 **Elisa and Melandra:**

 _Remember me_

 _Each time you hear a sad guitar._

 _Know that I'm with you the only way that I can be._

 _Until you're in my arms again..._

 _Remember_

 _Me..._

Melandra threw her arms around me in a tight hug. I hugged my classmate back.

"That movie..." Mrs. Kinsey turned to her husband in realization. "Coco..."

"Mr. and Mrs. Kinsey, Meta is not with you physically anymore, but she will always be with you and Melandra in spirit."

Melandra's parents looked to each other and then at Sakura.

"You're right, Sakura."

"Mr. and Mrs. Kinsey, we're sorry for your loss."

"Thank you for your condolences, Elisa." Mrs. Kinsey wiped a tear from her eye.

* * *

 **Sakura**

When school ended the next day, I offered to take Nathaniel to my mansion house and show him around. He gladly accepted, and I walked home with him

"Well, Nathaniel," I said while gesturing to the pink mansion. "This is where I live."

Nathaniel gasped in awe. "Wow..."

We walked up to the big iron gate, and I punched in the code. The gates opened, and we walked in through.

"1582?" Nathaniel questioned.

I smiled sadly. "That year has a very sad but important significance in our family."

Nathaniel nodded. "I see."

"Promise me you won't tell anyone else the code."

"I promise." Nathaniel said firmly.

I smiled. "Good."

We then opened the brass doors and entered the mansion.

The foyer was the first room in the house, and pictures from my parents' wedding were hung up on the golden walls.

"I don't believe this..." Nathaniel murmured in amazement. "Your parents must be extremely wealthy."

"They are." I replied. "My Dad usually meditates at this time, and my Mom is at the grocery store. I'll show you around!"

I led Nathaniel through the foyer and into the living room.

"Here's our living room. My father comes in here frequently to watch the news. Nadja Chamack is brilliant, isn't she? And I believe you met her little daughter, Manon?"

"I remember meeting Manon. It was when Elisa introduced you to me the day you moved here."

"Uh huh." I gestured for him to follow me, and I took him to the dining room.

"Here is the dining room. Mom preferred brown walls and pink curtains for this room."

"I guess your mother is very fond of the color pink." Nathaniel remarked as he touched one of the curtains.

"She's _very_ fond of pink anything. Dad and I insisted that not _everything_ in the house should be pink."

I took Nathaniel around a corner and into the training room.

"This is where I train with my father."

"Whoa... Look at all the swords!"

I giggled. "I knew you would like this room."

We then left the training room and entered the arcade.

"We even have a Japanese arcade here."

"Whoa..." Nathaniel ran over to a nearby machine. "What kind of games do you play in here?"

"Both Japanese and English versions of games like Kirby, Pokémon, Super Smash Bros, and even Splatoon!"

"That's so cool!" Nathaniel beamed. "I've never been in a mansion before."

I elbowed him. "Then you're probably going to love this next room." I took him to the anime lounge.

"Those are Hetalia posters, Sailor Moon posters, and we even have a couple of Precure posters."

Nathaniel turned to me with a smirk. "Two years ago, I used to watch Hetalia in secret when my parents weren't at home."

"Interesting. Oh, you're going to love what's next!" I took Nathaniel to the private hot spring and spread my arms out dramatically. "This is our private hot spring! There is a spring for the ladies, and a spring for the men."

Nathaniel facepalmed. "I can't believe I didn't bring my bathing suit."

I laughed sheepishly. "That's ok. Here, what's up next is going to be interesting. There are a few more rooms on the first floor, and then we're going upstairs."

I led Nathaniel out of the private hot spring and around a corner to the left.

"Here is our Tea Room. This is where Mom and Dad brew up their favorite Japanese tea."

"What kind of teas do your parents make?"

"Just green tea. They occasionally add seasonal aspects to the green tea, like pumpkin spice for fall and eggnog for winter."

"Have you ever tried asking your parents if they could try brewing other teas? Like chamomile or hibiscus?"

I shrugged. "My parents are very traditional. I don't know if I could sway them, but I can certainly try."

Nathaniel and I left the Tea Room and headed for the kitchen, passing through the dining room on the way.

"This is the kitchen. Dad insisted on everything being blue and white in here."

Nathaniel sighed. "If only my parents were as wealthy as yours are."

I smirked. "Are you jealous?"

Nathaniel threw his hands up in the air, obviously exasperated. "Of course I'm jealous! I actually _envy_ you and your family! Well, that is, in a sense that my family isn't rich and yours is."

I giggled. "Obviously. Now this next room is going to blow your mind!"

When we made it to the ice rink, Nathaniel's jaw dropped.

"Wow! You guys have your own ice rink?! Ok, my mind is definitely blown."

"I know we have an ice rink in the city, but ours is absolutely flashy. Maybe next time I can show you exactly what I mean."

We exited the ice rink and made our way to the guest rooms on the first floor.

"With the guest bedrooms, we've set up a color theme for each. There are two on the first floor. The first is black, and the second is white."

All of the guest bedrooms looked exactly the same, except in different colors. Each of them had a king bed, a nightstand and dresser, a closet, a framed picture of the Eiffel Tower, and a window with pastel colored curtains.

Once we left the white guest bedroom, I took Nathaniel around a corner and stopped at a set of silver double doors.

"Ready for this one?"

"You bet."

I opened the double doors and gestured for him to follow me.

"Surprise! We have our very own indoor pool! Fancy, huh?"

The room was painted white and magenta, and two broad mirrors lined the magenta walls. The pool took up 70 percent of the room, and roughly 15 chairs were set up, each with a clean towel.

"It's even got a waterfall!" Nathaniel beamed. "Now I really wish I brought my bathing suit."

I laughed. "Maybe when you come back next time you could go for a dip. Anyway, there's one more area on the ground floor I'd like to show you, but I want you to see the rest of the mansion first."

We left the pool room and climbed a flight of marble stairs to reach the second floor. I opened up the nearest door and guided him in.

"Here is the sewing room. Mom and I occasionally do our sewing here whenever a situation calls for it."

Nathaniel stood in front of the fireplace and gazed into the rectangular ornate mirror on top.

"You certainly have a lot of mirrors in the house."

I giggled. "Pretty much every room in the house has a mirror. The dining room, ice rink and living room are among the few that don't."

He then approached the curved white marble table that had a lamp, a small vase of flowers, and the embellished sewing machine Mom brought to Paris with her.

"That's where Mom sits to do her sewing." I explained.

"I like the look of that sewing machine." Nathaniel remarked.

"Tell that to my Mom. She loves it when people compliment her prized sewing machine."

As Nathaniel and I left the sewing room, we noticed that the door to the meditation room was open.

"Dad just finished his meditation session. Let's check out the room."

We entered the meditation room, and Nathaniel gazed at the Buddhist statue.

"That statue was given to my father by an old Buddhist friend of his." I explained, sitting down in one of the black chairs decorated with orange and yellow pillows.

"Are the ceiling and walls made of bamboo?" Nathaniel asked, looking around the room.

"The walls, yes. The ceiling is made of mahogany."

"And what about that tall gold statue?"

"Dad's had that one forever. Grandpa Hideki gave him that one."

"Sakura," Nathaniel approached the stereo on the glass table. "Does your father use any special meditation music?"

"He prefers calm winds and rain for meditation music." I explained. "He's traumatized by ocean sound effects because it reminds him of the tsunami that destroyed our home in Japan when I was a baby."

"I see." Nathaniel nodded. "What's next?"

I took Nathaniel out of the meditation room and into the dance studio.

"We have our own dance studio here! Cool, huh?"

The dance studio looked just like any other dance studio with huge mirrors and a ballet barre.

"Do you practice ballet dancing in here?" Nathaniel asked.

"I sure do! Whenever I need to practice any traditional Japanese dances, ballroom dancing or any dancing necessary for a school dance assignment, play or musical, I do those too."

"Do you do any hip hop dancing?"

"Not really." I shook my head. "As a Japanese royal on my father's side, I am expected to uphold the Japanese side of my heritage. One such rule is that I can't do any dancing other than ballet, traditional Japanese dances and ballroom dancing, unless I am participating in a show like Footloose, or if the dancing is part of a school assignment."

Next up were the guest bathrooms. Everything in the first guest bathroom was a silver color, and the guest bathroom across the hallway was the exact same. The only differences there were that the toilet, sink, bathtub, shower and everything else was rearranged, and they were a gold color.

After the guest bathrooms was the library.

"You guys are lucky to have your own library. What kinds of books do you have in here?"

"We have books on Japanese history, French history, American and British history, books on French and Japanese traditions, and even manga. I'm definitely a die-hard manga lover. I especially like the Pokémon, Sailor Moon and Dragon Maid manga."

"Japanese history, huh? Hey, Sakura, you mentioned that the year 1582 has a sad but important significance in your family?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I dug into my past, and I found out that my father's bloodline dates all the way back to the Sengoku Era!"

"The 1500's, eh? That's very far back."

"It is. My ancestors lived by these seven virtues: rectitude, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor and loyalty. My grandfather lived by these virtues, and so did my father. He encourages me to live by those virtues as well." I then wiped a tear from my cheek. "Some of my ancestors even committed Seppuku, which is a ritual suicide."

Nathaniel patted my shoulder in an effort to comfort me.

"Thankfully, my grandfather didn't believe in that, and neither does my father. They questioned that type of suicidal act and wanted to live by those seven virtues without offing yourself if push comes to shove."

We then left the library and I took him to Dad's office.

"This is my father's office. He keep tabs on current events in Japan."

"I see your dad prefers plain white for this room, huh?"

"Yeah. Pretty much everything in here is white except for the glass table, the brown chair, that miniature fake plant, the rug, the floor, the fireplace, and the picture above the mantle." I then gestured to Dad's computer. "This is where Dad gets the latest news on what's happening in France and Japan."

Nathaniel's gaze drifted to another picture from my parents' wedding. "Your mother looked lovely in that wedding dress."

I laughed. "Tell that to Mom when you see her."

After showing Nathaniel around the red, yellow and purple colored guest bedrooms, I took him to the basketball gym.

"And here's our basketball gym! Impressive, huh?"

"You know who would love this room?" Nathaniel asked as he looked around the room.

"Who?"

"Adrien Agreste."

"Oh, yeah!" My eyes widened in recognition. "I remember Adrien mentioning that he plays basketball!"

"We should tell him about this, and maybe you could invite him over for practice."

"That is, if his father lets him go."

"Yeah." Nathaniel nodded. "It's so unfair to Adrien. His father should let him go out more often."

"I agree. Anyway, we have one more floor, and then I'll show you the cherry blossom garden."

Nathaniel and I left the basketball gym and went up another flight of marble stairs.

"This floor is all bedrooms. My father doesn't like it when I show guests around his and Mom's bedroom without his permission, so we'll make this one quick."

Nathaniel tilted his head. "You're disobeying your father?"

"Just this once. He doesn't have to know about this one." I opened the door to my parents' room and entered after he did. "This is Mom and Dad's bedroom. They like their color theme green."

"Whoa..." Nathaniel gazed at the fireplace that had a small cup of forget-me-nots above it and a small wooden chair to the left. "Your parents have a fireplace in their bedroom too?"

"We have a lot of fireplaces in the house too."

My parents' bed was four-poster with a yellow ruffled canopy. The covers were white with blue and green stripes, and atop the covers were three pillows: two white and one white with blue, yellow and green flower and leaf patterns. The chair to the left of the bed had matching patterns, and the two glass lamps on both sides of the bed had white plastic coverings.

"The floor is made of wood just like that small chair by the fireplace, but Mom wanted this huge black and white rug to cover the wood floor so her fancy shoes wouldn't make any scuff marks."

"A very wise decision on your mother's part, Sakura." Nathaniel acknowledged.

After showing Nathaniel around the pink, green and blue colored guest bedrooms, we entered my room.

"And here is my bedroom!"

Nathaniel was obviously stunned at how big the bedroom was. His eyes immediately went to the portrait of myself and Elisa when we were little girls, the anime posters and the plushies of the Legendary Pokémon Solgaleo and Lunala on my bed.

"You like Solgaleo and Lunala?"

Nathaniel nodded. "They're my favorite Pokémon. You know, I kinda figured your room would be neon pink. Looks like something straight out of Harajuku."

"As a matter of fact, where I used to live when I was a baby wasn't all that far from Harajuku." I then opened my closet. "Surprise! I also have cosplay costumes!"

Nathaniel's jaw dropped at the sheer number of them.

"You have hundreds of those costumes! So lucky."

I brought him over to my desk and showed him my laptop and magical girl figurines.

"You really went all out with your room, eh, Sakura?"

"I sure did. Now let's go see the cherry blossom garden!"

As I walked back down to the first floor with Nathaniel, I talked about the akuma alarms.

"Another neat function we have is alarms that go off whenever there's an akumatized person in the city."

"That's incredible, Sakura! I wish my parents had one of those."

I took Nathaniel out into the backyard and around a corner.

"And this is our cherry blossom garden."

Nathaniel gasped in awe. "So... Pink!"

"Come on."

As we walked through the garden together, we decided to get to know each other better.

"So, Nathaniel, what do you like to do in your free time?"

"I usually spend my free time drawing. It's my favorite hobby. You?"

"Either training with my father, reading up on Japanese history and the role my ancestors played in shaping the country, and hanging out with my friends, mainly Elisa."

"That's good to know." Nathaniel smiled warmly. I blushed at that. As we came upon the big cherry blossom tree in the center of the garden, I made eye contact with him.

"Nathaniel, have you ever stopped to think to yourself 'what would life be like if there was only good in this world and no evil?'"

"That has come to my mind several times. Even though it's not realistic, I can't help but wonder."

"What I'm saying, Nathan, is that I don't want any negativity to come between us. I just want it to be about you and me. As a matter of fact, I've been waiting for this very moment to say this. I've liked you for a while, much more than friends."

I turned towards the big cherry blossom tree and walked towards it as I started singing.

 **Sakura:**

 _I don't need you to sell me on reasons to want you._

 _I don't need you to search for the proof that I should._

 _You don't have to convince me_

 _You don't have to be scared you're not enough_

 _'Cause what we've got going is good._

I turned away from the tree to face Nathaniel.

 **Sakura:**

 _I don't need more reminders of all that's been broken._

 _I don't need you to fix what I'd rather forget_

 _Clear the slate and start over_

 _Try to quiet the noises in your head_

 _We can't compete with all that._

I then walked back in Nathaniel's direction and took his hands in mine, looking up at him with a tender smile.

 **Sakura:**

 _So what if it's us?_

 _What if it's us_

 _And only us_

 _And what came before won't count anymore or matter?_

 _Can we try that?_

 _What if it's you_

 _And what if it's me_

 _And what if that's all that we need it to be_

 _And the rest of the world falls away?_

 _What do you say?_

Nathaniel released my hands from his, and he turned his back to me, taking a few steps forward.

 **Nathaniel:**

 _I never thought there'd be someone like you who would want me_

"Well...?" I shrugged.

 **Nathaniel:**

 _So I give you ten thousand reasons to not let me go._

 _But if you really see me_

 _If you like me for me and nothing else_

Nathaniel turned back to face me, heading back in my direction and taking my hands in his.

 **Nathaniel:**

 _Well, that's all that I've wanted for longer than you could possibly know_

We then walked together until we were under the big cherry blossom tree.

 **Nathaniel:**

 _So it can be us_

 _It can be us_

 _And only us_

 _And what came before won't count anymore or matter_

 _We can try that_

 **Nathaniel and Sakura:**

 _It's not so impossible_

 **Nathaniel:**

 _Nobody else but the two of us here_

Nathaniel spun me into his arms from behind me.

 **Nathaniel and Sakura:**

 _'Cause you're saying it's possible._

 **Sakura:**

 _We can just watch the whole world disappear_

 **Nathaniel and Sakura:**

 _Till you're the only one_

 _I still know how to see._

I turned around in his arms to put mine around his neck.

 **Nathaniel:**

 _It's just you and me_

 **Sakura:**

 _It'll be us_

 _It'll be us_

 _And only us_

 _And what came before won't count anymore_

 **Nathaniel and Sakura:**

 _We can try that_

 _You and me_

 _That's all that we need it to be_

 _And the rest of the world falls away_

 _And the rest of the world falls away_

 _The world falls away._

 _The world falls away._

 _And it's only us._

We slowly leaned in, and our lips met in our sweet, yet passionate first kiss.

When we separated, we were both speechless for ten whole seconds. We then spoke one word at the exact same time.

"Wow..."

* * *

 **Elisa**

"I feel so bad for Melandra." Suuiren shook her head. "I can only imagine what it's like to lose a family member."

"What does family mean to you, Suuiren?"

"We kwamis are abstract creatures, so we all view each other as family."

I nodded. "Gotcha. Can you tell me more about your past and the other kwamis' pasts?"

"Some of us kwamis, like Tikki, have existed since the beginning of time. Creation was the first concept that came into existence, and Tikki came with it."

I gasped in astonishment. "Fascinating..."

"Despite us kwamis having existed since the beginning of the universe, we weren't able to interact with humans until a mage whose name I can't remember created the Miraculouses. He's long since died."

"Can a Miraculous be damaged or destroyed?"

"Yes in both cases. If a Miraculous is destroyed, the kwami does not die, but can't be seen by humans anymore. If a Miraculous is damaged, it is dangerous to use it until it's fixed."

"Why is it dangerous to use a Miraculous if it's damaged?"

"If a Miraculous is used while it's damaged, the owner is also damaged and becomes sick. If it's used too much, the owner gets sicker and sicker, until she or he goes into a magical slumber."

"Whoa..." I breathed. "Well, guess that's a warning to myself to not transform if my Miraculous gets damaged."

* * *

 **Sakura**

"Nathaniel, I..."

"Sakura, there's something I've wanted to say as well."

"Yes?"

"I... Sakura Morris, I love you."

"I love you too, Nathaniel Kurtzberg."

We leaned in to kiss each other again, but before our lips could touch, I heard the familiar honking of a car horn.

"Mom's home from the grocery store. Let's go back in and introduce you to her and Dad."

I started to walk away, but Nathaniel grabbed my hand.

"Sakura...?"

"Yes...?" I turned back to face him.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

I beamed. "Absolutely, yes!"

I pecked him on the lips before we walked back inside together. We saw Mom and Dad bringing in groceries.

"Hello, sweetie." Mom smiled warmly as she and Dad put the grocery bags on the kitchen counter. "Who's this?"

"Mom, Dad, this is Nathaniel. He's in my class at school. And... We're dating."

Dad didn't react like I thought he would. Instead, he approached Nathaniel and shook hands with him.

"It is nice to meet you, Nathaniel. I'm Tadashi Morris, Sakura's father. I give you permission to date my daughter. But if you break Sakura's heart, you're in for a world of pain."

"With all due respect, Mr. Morris, I love your daughter very much, and I would never ever do anything to break her heart."

"I'm Sakura's mother, Arabella." Mom pulled Nathaniel into a hug. "Where are your parents? We'd love to meet them."

"Well..." Nathaniel said hesitantly. "They disappeared some time ago. I don't know what happened."

"Oh..." Mom said. "Well if and when your parents return, please introduce them to us."

"I will." Nathaniel nodded.

"Young man," Dad addressed my new boyfriend. "How would you like to live with us until your parents return?"

Nathaniel's face lit up. "I would love that, Mr. Morris! Thank you very much!"

"I'll take Nathaniel to his place and he'll bring over some of his things in a suitcase."

* * *

 **Elisa**

"There's something else I never told you about us kwamis, Elisa."

"And that is...?"

"There was a spell placed on us kwamis a long time ago by someone whose identity I can't remember. This spell forces kwamis to obey their owners, and it also blocks the kwamis from saying their owners' names to other kwamis and other Miraculous owners."

"That's a wise decision on the spell caster's part, but also a torture for a kwami if he or she is enslaved by a villain."

"It's basically a double-edged sword as you humans would put it."

My phone buzzed. It was a text message from Sakura!

 _'Elisa, guess what? Nathaniel and I are dating!'_

I gasped and squealed before texting her back.

 _'Congrats, Sakura! I'm so glad you found someone. I told you this would happen one day!'_

"Lily's going to be devastated." Suuiren said.

I then remembered my text conversation I had with Lily before the Troublemaker fiasco.

"Oh, yeah." I then texted Lily to let her know that Sakura had gotten together with Nathaniel. She replied within two minutes.

 _'Should've known this would happen. Bummer. Oh, well.'_

* * *

 **Normal POV**

Within an hour, Nathaniel took Sakura to his house, and he had packed some of his things in a suitcase.

"How have you managed to live here in spite of your parents' disappearance?"

"Mayor Bourgeois has helped me cover the bills and will continue to do so until my parents come back." Nathaniel explained.

"Oh." Sakura smiled sweetly. "I get it."

Nathaniel sighed. "Sakura, there's something I'd like to show you. Promise me you'll keep this between us."

"Of course..."

"My parents didn't actually disappear. They've been here this whole time."

"What?" Sakura gasped. "How...?"

"I'll show you. Follow me."

Nathaniel moved a portrait of the Eiffel Tower aside and pushed a button before entering a code. A secret staircase going downstairs opened up, and Nathaniel took Sakura's hand in his once more.

They descended the stairs into the secret room, and walked down a pathway illuminated by candles with artificial flames. Realizing the candle flames weren't real, Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

When they reached the end of the pathway, Nathaniel gestured to something, and Sakura was surprised at what she saw.

Lying in a pair of padded glass-covered cryogenic pods atop a circular platform were Bill and Nancy Kurtzberg, Nathaniel's missing parents.

Bill had slightly curly black hair and an unkempt beard. He wore a white shirt under a black leather jacket, black jeans and hiking boots.

Nancy had rib length red hair that curled naturally. She wore a casual red dress, white tights and white ankle boots.

"Nathan, that's your Mum and Dad?"

He nodded. "Yes. Something happened that inflicted a sleeping curse on them, and I have no clue what caused it."

Hand in hand with Sakura, Nathaniel walked up to the pods containing his parents.

Nancy and Bill had smiles on their faces as if they were having pleasant dreams. The first thing that came to Sakura's mind was Sleeping Beauty.

"They're not dead, right?"

"No, they aren't dead. They're just sleeping. There's this life support system keeping them alive."

Sakura looked from Nathaniel to his comatose parents, realizing how much he resembled his mother.

"I wish you were here, Mum, Dad. I miss you so much. A nice couple took me in so they could take care of me until you wake up. I'm dating their daughter, Sakura. Her father is Japanese, and her mother is British."

"Mr. and Mrs. Kurtzberg," Sakura put her hand on Nancy's cryo pod. "I hope we can find some way to wake you up. Nathaniel needs you." She then turned to her boyfriend. "I promise we'll keep this a secret between us, and we'll find some way to get your parents back."

* * *

 **Elisa**

I told Mom and Dad I was going to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery to pick up some macarons as a congratulatory present for Nathaniel and Sakura. I promised them I would be home in time for dinner. Oh my way, I ran into Valerie, and she did not look happy. She was... crying?

"Elisa, I'm so glad I ran into you."

"Valerie, what's going on?"

"Elisa, it's terrible..." Valerie sobbed.

"What happened?"

"You know how Melandra lost her little sister? Well, my cousin, Riley, passed away last night. She had been dealing with epilepsy, and had a seizure in her sleep. She never woke up."

"Oh..." I put my hands to my mouth. I then wrapped Valerie in a hug. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Valerie wept bitterly, hugging me back.

"Are you staying home from school tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yes." Valerie sniffled.

"That's good." I patted Valerie's back soothingly. "It'll give you time to cope and grieve. And you always have your friends by your side."

"Thank you, Elisa."

* * *

 **D.L.**

Reflecting on what life has brought to the table for me and Stella, I can rightfully say that there will always be challenges, and it won't be long before we face one of our biggest challenges yet: liars.

I hate liars with a passion, but on the other hand, I need to do something right myself for once, and that is creating a team of Power Rangers. I can barely remember the last time I saw the Guardian of the original Power Rangers. After the original Power Rangers died out, a new generation arose with a new Guardian.

I was deeply touched by young Sakura Morris acknowledging mine and Stella's legend and reading it to a couple of her friends. I have watched over her since, and it warmed my heart witnessing her and Nathaniel Kurtzberg's first kiss.

Watching Bill and Nancy falling deeper into an endless sleep has started to make me realize just how hurting and broken Nathaniel really is. I see a young man aching for his parents and longing to be understood.

I must travel to Oregon and recruit these new Power Rangers, no matter what it takes. The number of villains in Oregon has increased drastically in the last two years. I don't care if I have to get killers involved. If I'm willing to do anything for this world, I will do it.


	11. War Between Queens

_Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 **Elisa**

Ever since we played Truth or Dare at Juleka and Luka's houseboat, I've known that Marinette crushed on Adrien. But I had no idea she had pictures of Adrien all over her room!

Heh. Marinette can be such a drama queen.

Speaking of Marinette, I was waiting for her outside the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. We were going to head to the Gabriel Agreste fashion show together.

She ran out in a panic, and we both dashed off.

We stopped when we saw a limousine pull up to the Grand Palais. Chloé stepped out, followed by a blonde woman with a big hat wearing black and white.

"Anthony - uh, André." Said the woman. "Be a dear and fire the chauffeur. I can't believe Gabriel allows his staff to drive like that!"

"And neither do I." Chloé sneered.

"Yes, of course, Audrey dear." Mayor Bourgeois acknowledged.

The chauffeur drove off.

"Oh, no!" Marinette panicked. "It's Audrey Bourgeois!"

I raised an eyebrow. "'Bourgeois?' Sounds like Chloé's mother to me."

Marinette nodded, confirming my suspicions. "Only the harshest fashion critic in the entire world! I didn't know _she_ was coming!"

"Looks like my mom and Chloé's mom share a name." I remarked.

We watched as Madame Bourgeois stepped onto the red carpet.

"What is this carpet? Is it fabric? Why isn't the red carpet made out of marble like I said?!" She turned to Officer Roger before walking down the red carpet with Mayor Bourgeois and Chloé. "You're fired! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous..."

"Well," I shrugged. "Guess we know where Chloé gets her attitude from. Hmph, like mother like daughter indeed."

"She's gonna hate my hat for sure." Marinette groaned.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Marinette. I'm going to go on ahead and meet up with my parents and Sakura."

* * *

 **Chloé**

Nadia Chamack was interviewing us in front of the Grand Palais. I hope Mummy likes the gift I got her...

"Audrey, like the slogan of your magazine says "If it's in good taste; it's in 'Style Queen!'" So, what's in good taste this year?"

"Judging by the way you're dressed, you obviously don't know my dear." Mummy said into the microphone. I snickered at Nadja's bland outfit. "For your information, the trend this year is _glitter_."

I agree with Mummy on this. Glitter is _very_ important in the fashion industry!

"As the editor of 'Style Queen', you spend a lot of time in New York. It must be nice to be with your family for a change here in Paris."

Nadja's right! Time to present my gift to Mummy!

"She's _very_ happy to see me. By the way, Mom, I have a little something for you." I pulled the small gift box out of my jacket pocket, wrapped in pink wrapping paper.

"Clara - Uh… Chloé, what is this?" Mummy demanded. Why does she always forget my name?!

"Um… it's a gift?" I said hesitantly.

Mummy was not impressed. "Ugh, this wrapping paper is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. You're fired."

I gasped, and so did Daddy. That stung!

"Darling, please, you can't fire Chloé! She's your daughter!"

Daddy's right. How come I never impress Mummy?!

"Audrey, how long are you planning to stay in Paris?"

"As short as possible time." Mummy replied, walking away. Daddy and I followed behind.

* * *

 **Elisa**

I entered the Grand Palais and met up with my parents, who were talking with Sakura and her parents. Chloé and her parents were standing off to the side.

"Madame Bourgeois!" Mom called out.

Madame Bourgeois turned around and greeted Mom with a warm smile. "Madame Krelborn-Fulquard!"

Mom and Madame Bourgeois kissed each other on both cheeks.

I tilted my head, raising my eyebrows. "You know each other?"

"We knew each other in Skid Row." Mom replied. "She handpicked a few of my old outfits."

"Madame Bourgeois! How wonderful to see you!" I greeted Chloé's mother politely.

"Oh, please, Glitter Girl." Madame Bourgeois looked at me. "No need to call me that. Call me Aunt Audrey. You are my goddaughter, after all."

At that, both mine and Chloé's jaws dropped.

"She's my godsister?!" Chloé and I yelled at the same time.

I turned to my parents, shocked at the revelation. "Mom! Dad! You never told me Chloé was my godsister!"

Mom shook her head. "Elisa, we tried to, but you kept going on and on about your school musical."

All of a sudden, a hat rolled past us and bumped into Madame Bourgeois - erm, Aunt Audrey's shoe. I turned to see a terrified Marinette on the floor with an open box.

Aunt Audrey picked up the hat. "What is _this_?!"

"Uh, Mom, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the loser, and this is a hat she made because she thinks she's a _designer_." Chloé took the hat and held it upside down. "She even signed it. Look."

Marinette stuttered on and on about how it wasn't her, but I gave her a disapproving look.

Nathalie appeared to take Marinette to the dressing room to give the hat to Adrien, and I exchanged a shrug with Sakura.

We took our seats on the benches, and Marinette entered a few minutes later, followed by Chloé and Aunt Audrey.

"How dilapidated is this place?" Aunt Audrey sneered. "And I have to share the front row with this group of low-lifes? Ridiculous." She sat down between Mrs. Dupain-Cheng and Alya. "Utterly ridiculous. On the other hand, I do get to sit with the Krelborn-Fulquard and Morris families, so they're not _all_ low-lifes."

"Uh, sorry to disappoint you, Aunt Audrey, but that seat has already been reserved for Marinette."

Aunt Audrey sighed. "This Marinette girl, _again_?"

I'm not sure if I like my godmother that much, but at the end of the day, even if it's on a spiritual level, we're still family.

"Let _me_ handle this, mother." Chloé intervened. "Hey, losers, do you know who my mother is? She's Miss Style Queen: the most powerful woman in the world of fashion. This show is for _her_ , okay? So, get lost!"

"Chloé, come on," I tried to reason with my godsister. "You don't really need to make a scene about this."

"It's _facts_ , Elisa." Chloé sassed.

An unimpressed Nathalie approached Aunt Audrey. "Mrs. Bourgeois. Mr. Agreste has reserved a seat for you…"

"Ah, finally." Aunt Audrey stood up.

"…in the second row."

"What?!" Aunt Audrey recoiled in shock.

Looking over my shoulder at Sakura, I was surprised to see that she was totally neutral in all of this.

"My mother always sits in the _front_ row." Chloé spat.

"Not today." Nathalie replied.

"This is unacceptable! Gabriel cannot do this to me! _I'm_ the one who discovered _him_. Without me, he'd still be drawing his unworthy designs in his dismal, grim studio!"

Nathalie's facial expression did not change. "I can offer your seat to someone else if you don't want it."

"How _dare_ you?" Aunt Audrey growled, pointing a finger at Nathalie. "You're fired."

"I don't work for you, I work for Mr. Agreste."

"We'll see about that." Aunt Audrey pulled out her phone and called Mr. Agreste. He did not answer, much to Aunt Audrey's frustration.

"I assume from your expression that I'm _not_ fired."

"This is _unacceptable_!" Aunt Audrey screamed. "I will not view a fashion show from the second row, _EVER_!" She stormed off, followed by Chloé. Nathalie gestured for Marinette to sit down, and she did so.

"Sakura," I turned to my best friend. "I thought you had a disdain for the Bourgeois family."

"I do, but I've learned to keep it under control." Sakura replied.

I sighed to myself. "Aunt Audrey's definitely getting akumatized. That's pretty much a given."

The house lights dimmed, the stage lights came on, Nino started the music, and the fashion show began.

Adrien entered and proceeded down the catwalk in a cute black outfit, wearing Marinette's hat. I saw her shaking out of the corner of my eye and was about to ask if she was ok, but Alya beat me to it.

"All cool, girl?" She asked.

"Mm-hm." Marinette nodded.

As Adrien walked past where we were sitting, he glanced back at Marinette with a smile. Sakura and I exchanged knowing smirks with each other.

Adrien struck multiple poses and lots of pictures were taken. At that moment, a woman made of pure glitter materialized on the catwalk. I immediately recognized her as my akumatized godmother.

"A fashion show without the queen of style?! Glitteraly unacceptable!"

"Is this supposed to happen?" A confused Mr. Dupain-Cheng asked. "I've never attended a fashion show before."

"Where is that ungrateful Gabriel Agreste?" My akumatized godmother demanded, pointing her finger down at the catwalk. "I demand that he kneels before me!"

"My father isn't here!" Adrien said defiantly. Wow, he's really brave.

Looking around me, I saw people getting up and fleeing.

"Well then. If fashion-disaster daddy isn't here, I'll just have to settle for Agreste Junior! You're fired!" My akumatized godmother twirled her staff and shot a beam of gold dust at Adrien, turning him into a golden glitter statue. The crowd panicked, and I gasped in shock.

"Adrien!" Marinette cried out.

As more people got up and ran away, I turned to Sakura.

"Take cover, Sakura! I'll hide in the bathroom."

Sakura nodded and ran off in a different direction as I locked myself in the bathroom. Suuiren flew out of my purse.

"We need to save your godmother, Elisa!"

"You're right. Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

I transformed into Crystal Cygne and exited the bathroom.

* * *

 **Chloé**

Mummy had just turned Daddy into a statue, and I knew I had to do something.

"Mom."

"Claudine - uh, Chloé." Akumatized Mummy glared. "I'm _not_ mom, I am Style Queen." She made the tip of her staff glow as she pointed it at me. "Do you want to be fired, too?

"No, no, I really don't, Style Queen." I shielded my face from the blinding light. "Uh, besides, don't you need an assistant?"

"Hmm." Style Queen tilted her head slightly, shutting off the blinding glow from her staff. "I _did_ fire my last one this morning."

"She sure was useless." I said sassily. "Utterly useless."

" _Fine_!" Style Queen held out her hand to me. "I'll take you on trial."

I nodded with a grateful smile.

"Style Queen!" I heard a familiar voice from a rafter. It was Ladybug!

"What an atrocious suit." Style Queen shook her head, putting a hand to her forehead. "That bug looks _so_ last year."

"But the yo-yo makes a strong comeback this year." Ladybug replied, twirling her yo-yo. She then threw it, but it passed through Style Queen.

"You're a couple of sizes too small to beat me, Ladybug." Style Queen taunted before shooting gold beams at Ladybug. She dodged them all before blocking a big one with her yo-yo and falling backwards due to the recoil. At that moment, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail arrived on the scene.

"Mom! Uh - Style Queen." I stopped my akumatized mother from turning Ladybug into a gold statue. "If you want to find Gabriel Agreste, I know where he lives. You can take care of Ladybug and the others later; they're worthless anyway."

"Hmm... It's not a completely idiotic idea."

* * *

 **Sakura**

Style Queen hit the ground with her staff, and she teleported away with Chloé and the statue that Adrien became.

"Well that happened." Crystal Cygne shrugged.

"I daresay, she reminds me of Rita Repulsa from the Power Rangers series." I smiled proudly at the fact that I enjoyed the Power Rangers. "Man, I _love_ that show!"

"Cottontail!" Crystal Cygne said sternly. "You know you're not supposed to reveal anything about what your civilian self likes."

"Whoa, hey!" I held up my hands in an 'I surrender' manner. "A lot of people in Paris like Power Rangers."

"Yeah, you're right. Now let's go after Style Queen." We left the Grand Palais in pursuit of Style Queen.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Ladybug shouted as she followed us.

Just as the three of us landed on the gate to the Agreste mansion, Style Queen flew out with Chloé.

"Not again! Ooh!" We heard Chloé complain.

"Can't you stand still for two seconds?" Ladybug groaned as we tailed Style Queen again.

"Just where is Cat Noir?" I asked. "He usually shows up by now."

"I'm calling him as soon as we get to the Eiffel Tower." Ladybug replied.

By the time we arrived at the Eiffel Tower, we saw Chloé banging on a force field that Style Queen had put around the Adrien statue, which was now laid upon a bier.

"Oh, it doesn't break. Adrikins, wake up!"

"Cat Noir," Ladybug said into her yo-yo. "I don't know what you're doing, but there's a witch of a villain running loose and we _really_ need you."

Chloé looked up and saw us.

"Psst! Ladybug, girls!" She ran over so she stood below where we were hiding. "Hurry up! Adrikins is crumbling!"

"Did you see where your mother's akuma landed?" I asked.

"It's in the rose she put on him." Chloé replied. "Where is Cat Noir?"

Ladybug looked at her yo-yo. "I wish I knew."

"You better come up with something fast!" Chloé urged. "My mother is going to see you!"

As if on cue, Style Queen appeared on top of the force field around Adrien's statue. Chloé turned around slowly, smiling sheepishly.

"It's really impossible to find qualified staff these days. You're fired!" She turned Chloé into a statue before addressing us. "Ladybug, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail! Hand over those awful pieces of jewellery and let's get this over with."

Ladybug threw her yo-yo, but it passed through Style Queen.

"You still don't get it, huh, fashion victims? _I_ am invincible!" Style Queen taunted us, shooting gold dust at us. "My power is only equalled by my sense of fashion. _I_ am invincible!"

Ladybug used her Lucky Charm and got a mallet. The three of us triple bombed Style Queen, but our attacks were useless.

"Haven't you got it already? You. Can't. Beat me. How could you defeat me?" Style Queen kicked Ladybug into the metal railings. "You can't even touch me." She laughed evilly.

Ladybug grabbed the mallet again, and something dawned on her. "Of course."

I knew where she was going; to see Master Fu.

* * *

 **Marinette**

I ran in to see Master Fu and saw him with his back to me.

"Master Fu, Cat Noir has disappeared. We can't beat Style Queen without him! Crystal Cygne and Cottontail are on their own, and the Lucky Charm told me to come here."

"Don't worry," Master Fu didn't turn his back. "Cat Noir is fine."

"Well, what's he doing then?" I demanded. "Why isn't he helping us?"

"He's just lost his Miraculous." Master Fu looked at me over his shoulder.

"What?!" I panicked. "He's _just_ lost his Miraculous?! This is a disaster!"

"That tomcat's really gotten himself stuck up in a tree this time."

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw a tiny black cat kwami eating cheese.

"Uh - Lemme guess, you're Cat Noir's kwami?" I pointed at the kwami.

"Yes, he tends to copy me a bit too much." The kwami flew in front of my face. "Yet, lately, he's been doing really silly things. In five thousand years I've never experienced such an irresponsible Miraculous owner. As a result, he's lost his ring and it's just _me_ that's able to help you out."

Master Fu gasped and turned around, pointing a finger at the kwami. "No! It's out of the question, Plagg. You are way too dangerous without an owner."

"Dangerous?" Plagg said innocently. "Me? How so?"

"Does the disappearance of Atlantis ring a bell with you?" Master Fu demanded.

"I'd had too much cheese."

"The Leaning Tower of Pisa?"

Plagg crossed his arms. "I didn't see it."

"Dinosaurs!"

"Oh! Yeah… okay. No, I - I… did go too far there. But I was _young_."

"Neither Cat Noir nor Plagg can help you today." Master Fu said sadly, getting to his feet.

Plagg sighed disappointingly.

Master Fu brought out the Miracle Box and opened it. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, pick an ally you can trust to fight alongside you on this mission. Choose wisely; such powers are meant to serve the greater good. Once the mission is over you will retrieve the Miraculous from them."

I was torn between choosing the Fox or the Bee Miraculous.

"I need someone who can actually immobilize my opponent."

"Do you have someone in mind, Marinette?" Master Fu asked.

I picked up the Bee Miraculous. "I know just the right person."

* * *

 **Sakura**

Things were _not_ looking good. Crystal Cygne had allowed herself to be turned into a gold statue to protect me.

By the time I got down to Ladybug, she had dropped something and Alya had been turned into a gold statue.

"Where's Cat Noir?" Style Queen asked mockingly. "Oh, lemme guess. He's hiding because he's ashamed of his outfit."

Ladybug used her Lucky Charm again, and this time got a tube of glue.

"Glue this, Bug!" Style Queen gloated, shooting more beams of gold dust at us.

I then spotted a French flag out of the corner of my eye.

"Ladybug, catch!" I threw the flag to Ladybug, and she caught it, smearing glue on one side. Style Queen appeared yet again on top of the force field around Adrien's statue.

"You're always running away, Ladybug."

Ladybug twirled the flag before pointing it at Style Queen. "Not this time!"

The three of us ran at each other, me blocking Style Queen's attacks and Ladybug dodging them. She eventually managed to swipe the flag through Style Queen, covering the glued side in glitter.

"A glue diet? Ha! That's original."

"Oh, Style Queen!" I sing-songed. "I think you've got... What's the word?"

Style Queen looked down in shock, seeing a gaping hole in her abdomen.

"Oh, what's the matter?" Ladybug added to my taunts. "Do you have indigestion?"

"How dare you? I'm gonna squash you like the nasty bug you are! I'll even put that bunny rabbit in her place while I'm at it." She knocked Ladybug away and kicked me into the force field. "Hahaha! You're no match for Style Queen. Soon, you'll be nothing but a bad memory, like shoulder-pads!"

At that moment, a black cat kwami flew in front of us. "Stay away from the Ladybug and the Cottontail!"

"Plagg!" Ladybug exclaimed. Ah, so that's the name of Cat Noir's kwami.

"Agh," Style Queen was obviously not impressed. "My, my. What do we have here? A talking rat?"

"Meow!" Plagg said dramatically. "Style faux pas. Cataclysm!" He booped the floor, causing a _huge_ explosion. The force field around Adrien's statue cracked, and a piece of debris fell on Style Queen.

"You better hurry and fix everything." Plagg urged.

"Now I get why Master Fu didn't want to let you out." Ladybug kicked the force field, breaking it and grabbing the rose.

"No!" Style Queen wailed in defeat as Ladybug snapped the rose, releasing the akuma.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma." Ladybug opened up her yo-yo to catch the akuma, swinging it. "Time to de-evilize!" She then caught the akuma with her yo-yo. "Gotcha!" Finally, she opened her yo-yo again, releasing the purified akuma. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." She then threw the tube of glue into the air with a yell of "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Everything returned to normal, including the Eiffel Tower and everyone who had been turned into gold statues. Style Queen also turned back into Mrs. Bourgeois.

"Adrikins!" Chloé ran to hug Adrien. "I was so scared!" They then walked over to a very annoyed Mrs. Bourgeois.

"What am I doing here? You're all fired."

Crystal Cygne came down to join us, and we did our signature "Pound it!" with Plagg.

Ladybug frowned. "I hope Cat Noir finds his Miraculous."

"Don't worry. I'll be on him like mold on cheese."

"See you again soon, Ladybug!" I left with Crystal Cygne, and we parted ways to detransform.

* * *

 **Elisa**

"Suuiren, land!" I detransformed, and Suuiren flew into my purse. I then went to find Sakura.

"Elisa!" Sakura ran to hug me, and I hugged my best friend back. "I was so worried! Are you ok?"

"Don't worry, Sakura. I'm ok. Hoping Aunt Audrey is ok, though..."

* * *

 **Chloé**

Mummy and I were walking down the Eiffel Tower stairs since the elevator wasn't working. She was just as exhausted and frustrated as I was, panting all the way.

"Remind me to tell your father to fire the person in charge of the Eiffel Tower elevators. This is... unacceptable. Utterly... unacceptable."

"Of course, Mom." I stopped as I stubbed my toe on something. I looked down, and to my surprise, I saw a strange looking box.

I picked the box up and put it in my pocket before following Mummy the rest of the way down the stairs.

Later on that evening, I was sitting on my bed with the box in my hands.

I cautiously opened the box to reveal a bee shaped hair comb. A bright yellow light emerged from the comb and flew around me.

I shielded my face from the blinding light as it stopped in front of me.

The light faded to reveal a tiny bee creature.

"Hello, My Queen." The bee creature greeted me.

I was in total shock. What _is_ that thing?!

* * *

 **Elisa**

The next day, the fashion show resumed on schedule. We got the biggest shock of our lives when Mr. Gabriel Agreste himself showed up. I recall being told by Ladybug that Mr. Agreste hasn't appeared in public since his TV appearance when she and Cat Noir dealt with a villain called Simon Says. Prior to that, his wife Emilie had gone missing, and he never stepped out of the house before the Simon Says incident.

I watched with bated breath as Mr. Agreste walked down the runway and stood in front of Adrien, who took off his hat. Mr. Agreste pulled Adrien into a hug, and Adrien returned the embrace.

"Awwww..." Sakura and I cooed, hugging our own fathers.

Roughly an hour later, I was standing with my parents, godparents, Marinette's parents and Chloé. Adrien, Marinette and Mr. Agreste joined us as the latter went to talk to my godmother.

"My dear Audrey, I heard about the unforgivable misfortune you had to endure." Mr. Agreste kissed Aunt Audrey's hand.

"I'm _still_ quite overwhelmed." Aunt Audrey said dramatically.

"I want you to know that I've fired the person who was responsible for the misunderstanding. Only one row in the house is befitting to Audrey Bourgeois and that's the first."

Aunt Audrey smirked. "Let's not overdo it. Huh Gabriel?"

"He's right, Madame Bourgeois. Only the front row suits you."

Aunt Audrey sighed. "Elisa, please. I already told you to call me Aunt Audrey."

"Oh, right. Sorry, Madame Bo- Aunt Audrey."

"Did you enjoy the show?" Mr. Agreste asked as Sakura, her parents and Nathaniel joined us.

"So, so." Aunt Audrey replied. She took Adrien's hat off his head and examined it. "This hat is _not_ a 'Gabriel Agreste'." She looked at Marinette in an intimidating manner. "Are _you_ responsible for that?"

"Um..." Marinette looked at her parents nervously. Her father gave her a thumbs up.

"Stand proud." Adrien whispered to Marinette.

Marinette smiled nervously. "I… I'm the one who created it."

"Marinette won a fashion design competition." Mr. Agreste explained.

Aunt Audrey lifted her glasses to get a closer look at the hat.

"It's the most..."

Chloé smiled smugly, waiting for Aunt Audrey to criticize the hat.

"...Exceptional thing I've ever seen!" A genuine smile blossomed on Aunt Audrey's face. "You're a visionary, Marinette. Glitter's had its day." She raised her arms to express her joy. "Feathers are the trend of tomorrow!"

"Maybe I should look for a dress with feathers." I said to myself.

"Yes, you should, Elisa." Aunt Audrey agreed. "You'd look just as wonderful in a feather dress as you do in a glitter dress. I haven't felt this much emotion since... You." She turned back to Mr. Agreste.

"She _does_ have talent." Mr. Agreste acknowledged.

Aunt Audrey looked back at Marinette. "You wanna be a fashion designer, right?"

"Uh... Uh... Yes, ma'am."

Aunt Audrey put the hat back on Adrien's head. "Then come to New York with me! I'll make you the biggest name in fashion. I'm sure you'll even upstage Gabriel!"

I gasped and Sakura covered her mouth with her hands. Marinette?! Going to New York with Aunt Audrey?! What an honor for her!

"Aunt Audrey only accepts the best, and you impressed her!" I smiled at Marinette.

Adrien turned to Marinette with a smile. "I'll be able to model for you!"

"We'll be there for you, honey, no matter what you decide!" Said Marinette's mother.

Aunt Audrey pulled her glasses back down over her eyes. "My helicopter will be leaving for the airport at 8 pm tonight."

"Well done, Marinette." Sakura patted Marinette's shoulder.

Marinette put her face in her hands, letting the news sink in.

"Isn't this wonderful for Marinette, Chloé?" Adrien asked.

Hanging her head low, my godsister was seeing red. She seethed and looked up at Aunt Audrey, outraged. "It's... It's ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! I've never been to New York with you, and you're taking Marinette Dupain-Cheng?!"

Aunt Audrey had her hands on her hips. "I'm taking _her_ because she's exceptional, Claudette - uh, Chloé."

" _I'm_ exceptional, too!" Chloé yelled. Is that a tear I see in her eye?!

"The only thing exceptional about you, my dear, is your mother." Aunt Audrey rebuked.

Marinette, Adrien and I exchanged sympathetic looks. I now understand why Chloé is so mean.

Sakura laughed. "Burn!"

I elbowed Sakura to shut her up. "Sakura!" I then turned to Aunt Audrey. "Madame Bourg- uh, Aunt Audrey, wasn't that a bit harsh?"

"Heard that, Morris?" Chloé sneered. "Krelborn-Fulquard sees reason."

Aunt Audrey sighed. "I'm sorry, Elisa, dear, but it's true. Clarissa - uh, Chloé thinks she's all high and mighty because she has the world's greatest fashion designer for a mother."

"Audrey, dear..." Uncle André nudged Chloé towards Aunt Audrey, but Chloé pushed him away. "Chloé!"

"I'll show you how exceptional I can be!"

Suddenly, to my horror, Chloé pulled out a box and opened it, revealing the Bee Miraculous. A yellow ball of light flew out.

"No!" Marinette, Sakura and I cried out.

At the same time, Adrien cried out, "Chloé!"

Mr. Agreste gasped in shock, and Aunt Audrey pulled up her glasses again. The ball dissolved, revealing the bee kwami.

"How may I please you, My Queen?" The kwami asked.

Uncle André gasped.

"What is _that_ thing?" Aunt Audrey questioned.

Chloé took off her sunglasses and threw them aside before putting the Bee Miraculous in her hair.

"Chloé, what are you doing?"

Chloé didn't answer Adrien's question.

"Pollen, buzz on!"

I watched in dismay as Chloé transformed before our eyes!

She leaped up on top of the lights... and said for all to hear,

"I am Chloé Bourgeois, and from now on, _I'll_ be your new superhero: Queen Bee! We'll soon see if you think _Dupain-Cheng_ is still more exceptional than _moi_! Spinning Top!"

She used her weapon, a spinning top, to exit the Grand Palais.

"What is happening to our beloved daughter?!" Uncle André asked, terrified for Chloé.

Aunt Audrey was obviously not impressed with the stunt Chloé pulled. "She always _was such_ a show-off." She walked down the red carpet and out the door. "See you tonight, Marinette. I'll meet you at my helicopter." She stopped to turn back to me. "And Elisa, don't forget to find a dress with feathers!"

Uncle André ran out after Aunt Audrey. From of the corner of my eye, Nadja Chamack was reporting what just happened. I'm sure Master Fu is watching the broadcast and wondering what went wrong.

Mom put a hand on my shoulder. "Elisa, we should head home, sweetie."

"That goes for us too, Sakura. Come along, Nathaniel." Mr. Morris wrapped one arm around Mrs. Morris and the other around Sakura and Nathaniel as he led them out. My parents and I followed behind.

* * *

 **Sakura**

My parents, Nathaniel and I got into our limousine. Our chauffeur drove us home.

"That was very reckless of Chloé." I said to my mother. "She broke the 'keep your identity a secret' rule."

"Sakura," Mom put her hand on my shoulder. "We have the Miraculous Four. They'll deal with her."

Something told me Chloé was going to do something else reckless.

"I'm going upstairs. I think I'll meditate on this." I said the minute we got home.

"You do that, sweetie."

I went upstairs to my room and shut the door, locking it. I let Fluff out of my kimono.

"I wonder how Chloé got her hands on that Miraculous!" Fluff remarked.

"I'm wondering that too. It's time that we make her see the error of her ways. Fluff, hop to it!"

I transformed into Cottontail and set out to find my teammates.

* * *

 **Elisa**

When I got upstairs to my room, I called Luka. He answered right away.

"Hey, love! Everything all right?"

"Did you see the stunt Chloé pulled?"

"I did. Are you going to transform and stop her?"

"As a matter of fact, that's what I'll do."

"Please, be careful, my love."

I smiled to myself. He truly does care for me.

"I will, Luka."

With that, I hung up and let Suuiren out of my purse. "We need to stop Chloé before she does anything stupid. Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

Suuiren went into my necklace, and I transformed into Crystal Cygne. I met up with Cottontail on the way, and we found Cat Noir at the metro station. Nadja Chamack and a cameraman were also there.

"Cat Noir, what are you and the others doing here?" Nadja asked.

"Waiting for the next train." Cat Noir replied. We then jumped on top of the passing metro, meeting up with Ladybug and heading to the front of the train to look down and see Queen Bee.

"Queen Bee, stop this at once!" Cottontail demanded.

"Need a helping paw?" Cat Noir offered.

"Sto-o-op sta-aring! Ca-an't you se-e-e you're distracting me-e-e?" Queen Bee's voice came out shakily due to the railroad ties.

"This is _not_ a playground!" Ladybug barked. "Cat Noir, I'll slow it down as much as I can; you stop it! Cottontail, Crystal Cygne, go inside the train and tell the passengers to remain calm!"

While Ladybug and Cat Noir moved to stop the train, Cottontail and I entered through the top hatch.

"Please, everyone, remain calm!" I urged. "Ladybug and Cat Noir are addressing the issue. Just stay in your seats, and no one will get hurt!"

Before we knew it, the train came to a complete stop.

"Is everyone all right?" Cottontail asked.

"Yeah!" Said the passengers.

"Now everyone, please exit in a single file line. Cat Noir and Cottontail will help you off the train."

I exited the metro to meet up with Ladybug, Cat Noir and Queen Bee.

"Thanks for your co-operation, people. Please, keep on being _paw_ some and evacuate the station calmly."

I rolled my eyes. Cat Noir and his puns...

Ladybug went to help the driver, who powered off the train, before confronting Queen Bee, who was bragging in front of Nadja and her cameraman.

"You're welcome. It was nothing. I was merely-"

"Queen Bee!" Ladybug shouted. "This was _your_ doing!"

"Oh, Ladybug, you're too kind." Queen Bee smiled, apparently not caring that Ladybug was berating her instead of giving her praise. "This was teamwork. Oh, how amazing is this?! We're a team now!"

"Nu-uh." Cottontail shook her head. Didn't realize she had rejoined us. "After the stunts you just pulled...?"

"You're the one who paralyzed the metro driver, aren't you? You used your power to create this situation just to make yourself look good!"

"Who cares?" Queen Bee asked sassily. "We saved them, didn't we?"

"Completely irresponsible!" A female passenger interjected.

"Queen Bee, or rather, Chloé Bourgeois," Nadja had Aunt Audrey live on her tablet. "We're on the air with your mother, Audrey Bourgeois. Audrey, do you have anything to say, live, on TV?"

"What?" Aunt Audrey said sarcastically. "Regarding my daughter's ineptitude? I think it speaks for itself, doesn't it?"

"Chloé," Ladybug said demandingly, holding out her hand. "Give us back your Miraculous."

"Finder's keepers, loser's weepers!" Queen Bee spat.

Mine and Cat Noir's eyes widened.

"Did _you_ lose a Miraculous?!" We both questioned in surprise.

With wide eyes, Ladybug pulled us aside.

"Listen, you lost a Miraculous once, too!" Ladybug hissed. "May I remind you that Crystal Cygne got turned into a gold statue, and Cottontail and I were busy taking care of Style Queen all by ourselves?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Queen Bee stomping up the stairs and exiting the station.

"Ladybug!" I got my teammate's attention.

She turned around and saw Queen Bee leaving.

"Queen Bee! Chloé, wait!"

The four of us chased after her, but by the time we landed on the street, she was long gone.

"Chloé!"

"Wherever she is, she must've transformed back by now." Cat Noir quipped.

"She's probably gone home. I'll pay her a visit and get the Miraculous back!" Ladybug twirled her yo-yo and took off.

"I'll come with you." Cat Noir extended his staff and leaped into the air.

"We're coming too! Let's go, Cottontail."

I took off flying, and Cottontail leaped after the rest of us.

When we made it to the Bourgeois hotel, we jumped onto Chloé's balcony and entered her room.

"Chloé?" Ladybug whisper-yelled.

"Queen Bee?"

"Chloé, where are you?"

"She's not here." Cottontail said. "Let's check downstairs."

We took the elevator to the lobby, and what we saw surprised us. The employees and Chloé's parents were paralyzed, and they had insect stings on them.

"What's that?" Cat Noir asked. "An insect bite?"

"How weird." I remarked. "She's only able to use her special power once, like my Swan Song and Ladybug's Lucky Charm."

"Yeah," Ladybug concurred. "She should've transformed back."

We then heard buzzing from above, and Cottontail gasped. We looked up to see a swarm of wasps coming at us in arrow formation.

"Crystal!" Cottontail grabbed me by the arm, and I fell on top of her. I looked over to see that Ladybug had gotten Cat Noir out of the way as well, and she was on top of him too.

"Your reign is over, Miraculous Four!"

I looked up to see Queen Bee, but she looked different. Her color scheme had changed, her eyes were now a dark pink color, and her skin was now yellow.

"I don't even care if you don't give me your Miraculous; my wasps will paralyze you and I'll simply take them _myself_."

I saw Hawk Moth's butterfly overlay appear over her face, and I instantly knew what had happened.

"Wasps, Venom!" The akumatized Queen Bee commanded.

The wasps took the form of four darts, and we all dodged them, fleeing the hotel.

"Hawk Moth must've akumatized her while she was still Queen Bee."

About time Ladybug put the pieces together.

"I bet the Akuma's in her Miraculous." Cat Noir concluded.

"That makes sense, but Miraculous are indestructible. We will need your Cataclysm to release the Akuma."

"I think you're wrong there, Ladybug." I corrected. "Miraculous are _not_ indestructible, _but_ Cat Noir will still need Cataclysm."

"We'll need to avoid getting stung too." Cottontail reminded us. "That's very important."

"A ladybug doesn't stand a chance against the queen of wasps!"

We looked up to see Queen Bee, scratch that, Queen Wasp, floating in the air on some of her wasps. Some other wasps picked up two cars, throwing one at us, and the other at some civilians. Ladybug used her yo-yo to catch the car before it could crush the civilians and lower it safely to the ground.

I dodged some wasps in the shape of a dart, and Ladybug ducked behind the police car Queen Wasp had thrown. Cat Noir leaped into the air to try and hit Queen Wasp with his staff, but she grabbed it and swung him around before flinging him into Ladybug. The resulting impact sent them flying into a street lantern. She then sent her wasps after us.

* * *

 **Sakura**

The four of us fled from the wasps yet again. We jumped onto a roof and towards the Seine.

"Jump!" Ladybug commanded.

At that moment, I pulled out a wish card.

"Wish card, invisible snorkel!"

An invisible snorkel appeared on my face just as we fell into the water. Ladybug, Cat Noir and Crystal Cygne used their yo-yo, staff and scepter as oxygen masks. It didn't take us long to arrive at Luka and Juleka's houseboat. We climbed aboard.

"What, you think I'm a catfish?" Cat Noir joked.

"I don't know." Ladybug replied. "But I _do_ know we're gonna have to come up with another plan." She then called her Lucky Charm and got a snorkel of her own.

"How ironic." I commented. "I summon an invisible snorkel with my wish card, and _you_ get a visible one with your Lucky Charm."

"It has a great sense of humor, you know." Cat Noir remarked. "At least you won't drown."

"'Drown'!" Ladybug's face lit up. "That's the idea: wasps don't like water!" She then glanced toward four nearby garbage bins. "You know guys, we _may_ have to get a little dirty."

"That's ironic, we just took a bath."

Crystal Cygne and I laughed.

"Just follow Ladybug." I elbowed my black clad teammate.

We grabbed the trash bins. I took the inflatable duck and put it on my shoulder while Cat Noir grabbed the roll of tape, and Crystal Cygne took the hose. We each got under our trash bins and shuffled on our knees so the parts of our bodies would not be seen by the wasps from under the bins.

We eventually made it to the hotel roof, and we heard the wasps buzzing outside the bins.

"Ugh, that's disgusting!" Queen Wasp groaned.

"Now, guys!" Ladybug called out. We took the trash bins off and threw them at Queen Wasp, who dodged all four. I tossed the inflatable duck to Cat Noir, who caught it.

"You'll never get it back!" Queen Wasp growled.

Cat Noir jumped onto Queen Wasp and put the snorkel over her mouth. Ladybug wrapped the yo-yo around Queen Wasp's leg and jumped down into the Seine. I attached the hose to the snorkel, and Crystal Cygne taped the hose to the inflatable duck.

The five of us were now fighting underwater. Queen Wasp managed to avoid us several times before Ladybug, Crystal Cygne and I restrained her. Cat Noir called for his Cataclysm, muffled by his staff. He tapped the Bee Miraculous with a finger, breaking it and releasing the akuma. Queen Wasp turned into Queen Bee and back to Chloé, who sorrowfully grabbed the pieces of the Miraculous and cradled them to her chest.

The five of us jumped out of the water, Chloé in Cat Noir's arms.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma." Ladybug opened up her yo-yo to catch the akuma, swinging it. "Time to de-evilize!" She then caught the akuma with her yo-yo. "Gotcha!" Finally, she opened her yo-yo again, releasing the purified akuma. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." She then threw the snorkel into the air with a yell of "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The Bee Miraculous was fixed, and everything returned to normal.

* * *

 **Elisa**

"Pound it!" We did our signature four-way fist bump as Nadja's van arrived.

"I _have_ to get the Miraculous back, Chloé." Ladybug said sadly, holding her hand out for the Miraculous.

"Give me a second chance, please!" Chloé pleaded.

"Audrey Bourgeois, tell us live how you feel about what just happened." Nadja said, holding her tablet with Aunt Audrey on it.

"According to me, Chloé just clearly demonstrated that there is nothing exceptional about her."

I sighed. If only Aunt Audrey had done a better job with raising Chloé and being there for her...

Cat Noir knelt down and put a hand on Chloé's shoulder. "I know that you did the things you did to impress your mother."

"Anyone can make mistakes, even a superhero." Ladybug said understandingly. "What matters is how you fix them. I personally made one by losing that Miraculous. Don't make the mistake of _not_ giving it back. Act like a hero."

"And show everyone how exceptional you can be."

I put a hand on my godsister's other shoulder. "You can do it, Chloé. We all have faith in you."

Chloé stood up and hesitantly gave the Bee Miraculous back to Ladybug.

"Thank you." Ladybug said gratefully.

We were about to leave, when Chloé stopped us.

"Ladybug? Cat Noir? Crystal Cygne and Cottontail?"

We turned around.

Chloé smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."

We smiled back before leaving.

* * *

 **Chloé**

I did not come out of my room, except for eating lunch. I just sat on my bed and sulked, lamenting my own mistake. By making that very mistake, I had realized three things: one; that Mummy would never love me, two: that I had let Ladybug down, and three: that I had disappointed Elisa, who I had no idea until yesterday was my godsister.

And Pollen... I miss her very much. Now I might never see her again...

A knock on the door broke me out of my train of miserable thoughts.

"Go away!" I yelled.

"That _was_ the plan, but no." Said a voice from the other side.

I begrudgingly got up to open the door, and standing there were two people I did not expect to see.

"Dupain-Cheng? Elisa?"

"Aunt Audrey is wrong about you not being exceptional." Elisa said firmly. "We're going to put her right, and you're coming with us. Marinette said so, and she dragged me all the way here."

I gasped in surprise. Marinette wanted to... _help_ me?

The butler and I accompanied Elisa and Dupain-Cheng to where Mummy was waiting with the helicopter. Marinette said that she wouldn't be going to New York, and that everyone she loved was here in Paris.

"You're making a mistake, Marinette."

"I think you're wrong." Dupain-Cheng insisted. "A huge part of _your_ life is here in Paris, too!" She stepped aside so Mummy could see me, Jean-Piers and Elisa.

"Chlorine, uh, Chloé..."

I looked to Mummy, and then between Elisa and Marinette guiltily. Marinette nodded encouragingly, and I looked back to my mother.

"Why don't you love me, Mom?"

Mummy looked surprised. "But of course I lo... love you."

I wasn't convinced by that. I've tried so many times to impress her, and I hardly remember the last time she's ever shown me affection.

"Uh, I kinda need to see it to believe it, Aunt Audrey." Elisa said disapprovingly.

Dupain-Cheng groaned. "You're also wrong about your daughter _not_ being exceptional." She then smirked. "In fact, Chloé is exceptionally mean. She's the worst person I've ever met. She may be more heinous, pompous and selfish than you. Compared to both of you, even a rock seems more capable of love."

As Marinette spoke, I growled. Just what was she playing at?!

"How dare you!" I shouted. Wait, did Mummy say it too?! We both looked at each other, surprised.

"See? You're both much more alike than you think. Come along, Elisa." She then walked off, humming.

"She's right, you know." Elisa added before trailing after Dupain-Cheng.

"Are you as mean as this… Maria… says?" Mummy inquired.

"Well, I haven't gotten along that much with Elisa. And I don't have one single friend in school except for Sabrina, but she doesn't realize that I'm just using her." I then leaned close to whisper, "My favourite hobby is giving Jean-Louis a hard time."

"You mean Jean-Yves?"

"Who cares what his name is?" I smirked before rounding on Jean-I-can-care-less-about-what-his-name-is. "Jean-thingy, put my luggage in there! No, not like that?! Take them out and stack them from smallest to the biggest!"

Mummy now looked impressed. "I think I may have judged you unfairly, Chloé. Martha… uh— Marinette's right, you are exceptional, just like me." She then pulled me in for a hug. "I've decided I'm staying in Paris with you."

I hugged Mummy back. I have wanted this for so long now. I definitely owe Dupain-Cheng one.

"So we're not heading to the airport after all, then?" The helicopter pilot inquired.

"You're fired!" Mummy and I said simultaneously.

* * *

 **Sakura**

Nathaniel and I were in the secret room once again. We had put marigold bouquets on Nathaniel's parents' cryo pods.

"I wish we knew what happened to them, Nathan." I murmured, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

"And I wish there was a way to bring them back." Nathaniel agreed, wrapping an arm around my waist. "I miss them so much."

"Mr. and Mrs. Kurtzberg," I spoke to Nathaniel's parents. "I know you probably can't hear us. But tons of mistakes will be made in the coming days. No matter, no matter, you will be back with Nathaniel soon enough. He misses you, and so do I, even though we never actually met."

When I returned home with Nathaniel, my father ran up to me, having discovered something surprising. Turns out, the Oda family was not completely gone, and I still had family members alive in Japan. I never knew them, and I never met them!

What an interesting discovery...

* * *

 **?**

I was on my way home from a friend's house. It was almost dinnertime, and just my luck, it was storming out.

The storm seemed to be getting worse by the minute. It wasn't a tropical storm or depression, but it certainly seemed like one.

And then...

Pain, pain, that's all it was. Nothing but pain. It felt like over a hundred needles being constantly stabbed into me at once.

I let out this high pitched, yet guttural agonizing scream, and then everything went black.

* * *

 **Elisa**

Luka had come over, and we were getting ready to meditate, when my cell phone rang.

I realized it was Valerie. We're both in the sixth period dance class taught by Mrs. Faye.

I picked up the phone and put it to my ear.

"Hey, Valerie! What's up? Do you need help practicing a dance move? Luka and I can come visit if that's the case. I know with the weather and everything, it might not be a good time, but we can still manage."

"Elisa... I'm sorry if I interrupted you, but... But..."

"Valerie, what's wrong?"

"Lulu's in the hospital."


	12. Reversing The Situation

**A quick author's note before we move on ahead: I can't believe we're at Chapter 12 already! A big thank you to those who have favorited, followed and reviewed! I hope to see more of those!**

 **I decided to name Lily's parents after the OCs that Life Among the Dead and I only have a Dark Life sent me for my Pokémon fanfic, The Miraculous Adventure of Tessa and Lunala. For those who have also read that story, I need plot ideas for Chapter 21, and I also need your help voting in the poll on my profile page.**

 **Also, fair warning, this is one of the few chapters where suggestive themes (PG-13 territory) are present. There's nothing mature or explicit, but obviously Marc has pent-up feelings for Lily, and being akumatized can cause someone to do crazy things...**

* * *

 _Ladybug_ **(Ladybug finishing her transformation)**

 _Cat Noir_ **(Cat Noir finishing his transformation)**

 _Crystal Cygne_ **(Crystal Cygne finishing her transformation)**

 _Cottontail_ **(Cottontail finishing her transformation)**

 _We've been preparing_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail on patrol)**

 _Sharing_ **(Elisa helping Sakura with her Footloose lines)**

 _Training_ **(Luka and Elisa meditating together, holding hands)**

 _Studying A to Z_ **(Elisa raising her hand in class)**

 _Bonding_ **(Elisa and Sakura hugging)**

 _Battling_ **(Cat Noir destroying Captain Hardrock's ship with Cataclysm)**

 _Laughing_ **(Elisa laughing at Nathaniel's drawing of Hawk Moth's defeat)**

 _Gettin' crazy, you and me_ **(Luka kissing Elisa)**

 _'Cause it's coming soon_ **(The window in Hawk Moth's lair opening)**

 _When we all meet our destiny_ **(Luka and Elisa standing under the moonlight in each other's arms)**

 _Under the Parisian moon_ **(Ladybug, Cat Noir, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail stand side by side, now joined by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee)**

 _Miraculous!_

* * *

 **Lily**

"Are you ready to go, sweetheart?" My mother called to me from downstairs.

"Coming, Mom!" I ran downstairs while holding up the skirt of my usual rainbow dress. Both my parents were waiting for me by the front door.

"You sure you have everything, pumpkin?" Dad asked me.

"Dad," I rolled my eyes. "First off, could you please stop calling me that? Second off, yes, I have everything. And by the way, Mia and Melandra invited me to hang out with them after school today."

"Tell Mia and Melandra that your mother and I are fine with that, ok, pump- I mean princess?"

"I will, Dad." I replied, kissing my father on both cheeks and opening the front door. I ran down the front steps.

"Have a good day at school, Lily Pad." Mom called out to me. I stopped to run back and kiss Mom on both her cheeks before heading off.

"I will, Mom!" I called back as I ran to meet Nathaniel, Luka and Sakura in front of Elisa's house.

* * *

 **Elisa**

It was a brand new day. I did my usual morning routine and ate breakfast before heading out the door for school. Luka, Nathaniel, Sakura and Lily were waiting for me outside.

Yesterday was quite eventful, you know, with Queen Wasp and everything. Sakura had her arm looped through Nathaniel's, and Luka wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Nate, any luck with finding a scriptwriter?" Sakura asked her boyfriend as the five of us walked to school together. Nathaniel had plans for working on a comic book, but needed a scriptwriter to work with.

Nathaniel frowned. "No. I don't want to give up, but if I don't find a scriptwriter by the end of the week, I might have no choice."

Luka offered his own two cents. "Hey, you might get lucky and find one today."

Nathaniel sighed. "I hope that's the case, Luka."

We arrived at school and headed to Ms. Bustier's classroom, parting ways with Lily.

* * *

 **Marinette**

The school day had ended. I wasn't ready to go home just yet, because I was searching for someone. Nathaniel had told me about his intentions to make a comic book, and I knew just the right person to be the scriptwriter. I found him sitting under the stairs, writing in his journal.

"Hey, Marc! How's it going? Where is the rest of your class?"

"Oh, hey, Marinette." Marc said nervously. "We're done with classes for today; the others probably went home."

"Perfect timing!" I smiled at that. "Our class has a spare hour, so some of us are heading over to the art room. You should come check it out!"

Marc seemed uncertain. "Sure... Why not?"

I peeked over his shoulder to take a look at his journal. "Maybe you'll finally let me read your writing!"

"Yeah I don't know? Maybe." Marc said hesitantly.

"Awesome! See you later then." I giggled, running upstairs to the art room.

* * *

 **Elisa**

I was in the art room, gluing yellow feathers to one of my plain dresses. Aunt Audrey had suggested that idea to me, and I instantly liked it. Nathaniel was showing his drawings to Mr. Ross, the art teacher.

"This is a team up of Ladybug, Crystal Cygne and Mightillustrator fighting Queen Wasp together."

"You mean Evillustrator?" Mr. Ross corrected.

"He changed his name after Ladybug de-akumatized him and became a superhero." Nathaniel explained.

"Bad guy who comes over to the good side, great idea." Mr. Ross seemed satisfied by Nathaniel's idea. "You should make a comic book about that." He suggested.

I looked over to see Marinette working on a hat, Anita Woodard to my left working on a scrapbook, and Lily sewing a white cape. Marinette was smiling at the exchange between Mr. Ross and Nathaniel.

There was no Footloose rehearsal today or tomorrow because Mrs. Miller was out sick, and we had a substitute teacher in our drama class.

"Yeah, but I'm only good at drawing stories, not writing them." Nathaniel said sadly.

"Then you should team up with a creative writer."

I saw a boy in a red jacket and rainbow shirt peer through the doorway. If I recall correctly, that's Marc Anciel. Oh, that's right! He's playing Ren's friend Garvin in Footloose!

"Maybe... But, I don't know anyone who's into that."

"Don't worry, Nathaniel." I reassured my classmate. "I'm sure you'll find your scriptwriter today, if not tomorrow."

"Elisa's right." Alix took off her spray mask. "There's gotta be somebody out there just waiting to meet you. Red please!"

Nathaniel tossed the red spray paint can to Alix.

"Marc, you made it!" Marinette got up, ran to Marc and grabbed him by the arm. "Come meet everyone!" She dragged Marc over to Mr. Ross and introduced him. "This is Marc, the boy I told you about! The one who's always writing."

"He's in one of my art periods. In fact, he's in the same period as Lily." Mr. Ross acknowledged with a smile.

Marc hid a journal he was carrying in his jacket. "Uh... I'm sorry I didn't want to disturb you."

"It's like I told you in class today, Marc. You're never disturbing anyone here. Don't forget that you can come whenever you want outside of class time or after school. Anyone can create what they want, anyway they want. Rose is writing lyrics for a rock band." Mr. Ross walked over to Rose and lifted up her headphones. "Rose, I would like you to meet Marc."

"Hey, there!" Rose yelled, raising her fist to the air. "Nice to meet you Marc."

I cringed. "Eh, a little too loud, Rose."

Mr. Ross gestured to Alix. "Alix is our expert at street art."

Alix proved her point by flipping a spray can in the air and catching it.

"Anita here is putting a scrapbook together."

Anita smiled and waved.

"And Nathaniel -"

"He likes to draw people in skinny suits."

At Alix's remark, Nathaniel threw a crumpled paper ball at her, and she laughed.

"Welcome, Marc." Nathaniel greeted. "As you'll find out, the good thing about this place is you can say whatever you want and no one will judge you, or only in good fun."

I listened to the conversation as I continued to work on the dress.

"I... I saw your drawings on the school website, but they're nothing compared to the real thing. The movement, the expressions, the attitudes. There all so -"

"Thanks... That's nice."

I looked up to see that Marc had stepped back, embarrassed by what he had said. "Sorry... But it's true, I-I've never seen drawings so-"

"So _messed up._ "

I turned my head to see my godsister standing in the doorway with Sabrina.

"All he ever draws anymore is Ladybug, ever since she de-akumatized him. As if Ladybug could care less about a guy like him."

She laughed, and Nathaniel went red with anger, starting to pack away his drawings. Luckily, Mr. Ross stopped him.

"I've already told you, Chloé, if you have an art project you want to work on, you're quite welcome here. Otherwise-"

"Of course I've got a project." Chloé interrupted Mr. Ross, doing a spin into the art room and striking a pose. Sabrina was preparing to show us something. "A unique masterpiece that will revolutionize the art world. Nothing you commoners would have come up with."

"Let me guess..." Alix spoke up. I looked at her, surprised to see her copying Chloé's pose. "Another collage of selfies?"

Everyone laughed, except for myself, Mr. Ross, Chloé and Sabrina. Anita laughed so hard, she fell out of her chair.

"What?!" Chloé exclaimed as she and Sabrina hid what they were about to show us. "No! That's ridiculous! Utterly... Ridiculous! You don't deserve my art anyway."

With that, Chloé left the art room, pushing Sabrina with her.

"Well Alix, if Chloé really did have an art project, it's too bad we didn't give her a chance to tell us about it, is it?"

Alix sighed and put her mask back on, continuing her street art. "Whatever."

"By the way Marc, you've shown up at the perfect time. Marinette told us that you're always writing and Nathaniel is looking for a script writer."

At Mr. Ross's words, Nathaniel flashed Marc a smile.

Marc widened his eyes and jumbled over his words. "Uh? Me? A script writer? Oh, no. I don't write that kind of stuff, I mean I don't write anything interesting honestly. Sorry. Gotta go. Thanks for everything!" He then bolted out of the classroom.

"No Marc!" Marinette got up to chase after him.

"He's very shy, just as much as Lily." I explained to Nathaniel.

Roughly ten minutes passed before Marinette came back.

"Could you come with me, Lily? I need your help with something."

When Marinette and Lily left the art room, Sakura approached my table.

"Elisa, just what are Marinette and Lily up to?"

I shrugged. "Beats me."

* * *

 **Lily**

Marinette had filled me in on the plan to get Marc and Nathaniel to work together and make a comic book. I was totally on board with it. He had dropped his journal in the hallway, and we were on our way to return it.

We found Marc frantically searching his locker for something. He shut the locker door and saw us standing there.

"Looking for this?" Marinette held out Marc's journal.

"Oh." Marc sighed in relief, grabbing the journal and holding it to his chest. He gasped in fear. "Did you read it?"

Marinette held her hands up with a smile. "Oh, no!"

I gave her the 'I know you're lying' look.

Seeing my facial expression, Marinette slumped with a sigh.

"Yeah... sorry. It was too tempting."

"Oh, how embarrassing." Marc turned his back to us. "So, so lame."

"No, it's not!" Marinette insisted. "You should turn it into a comic book. Why don't you team up with Nathaniel?"

"Uhh," Marc turned slightly so he could see us out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sure he won't like it."

Marinette and I walked closer to Marc and stood on either side of him.

"You should have him read it before you jump to conclusions."

"Y-yeah." I stammered. "That way he'll frown, I mean smile and say 'I don't like it'. No! I mean, he'll say 'I like it'!"

"But what if he _doesn't_ like it?" Marc buried his face in his journal. "I'll be so embarrassed. I'll have to change schools so I'll never run into him again."

My eyes widened in fear at the thought of Marc leaving the school.

"Ohhh, and that means I'll have to switch schools out of shame!" I groaned dramatically.

"Now you're both being silly." Marinette pressed. "Look, he draws Ladybug all the time and you write stories about her. Oh, I've got an idea; we'll have him read it without telling him who wrote it. If he like's it, it's a win-win. If he doesn't, we just won't say anything. Do you agree to this, Lily?"

"Uh... Yeah, if you're sure about this..." I answered hesitantly.

"Do you think it'll work?" Marc asked.

"Trust me on this." Marinette held out her hand.

* * *

 **Elisa**

I had glued the last feather onto the dress when I heard Nathaniel and Marinette talking. When Nathaniel left the room, Marinette pulled Sakura and I aside, explaining what was going on. She and Lily hatched a plan to get Marc and Nathaniel to work together on a comic book, and Phase Two was getting started. Thankfully the glue dried pretty quickly, so I took the finished dress with me.

The five of us hid behind a staircase across the courtyard, spying on Nathaniel. He was sitting on the stairs across the area with a bright smile on his face. Lily was wearing her now finished white cape, hoping to show it to Mia Monarrez and Melandra.

"Do you think he likes it?" Marc asked.

"I'd certainly say so." Lily shrugged.

"Look at his face! Of course, he does." Marinette said with a smile.

"It's rude to spy on people." Said a familiar voice from behind us. We turned around to see a smirking Adrien standing only a few feet from us.

"Yeah, says Mister-I-hide-behind-Marinette's-locker-and-wait-for-her." I smirked back.

"Eh..." Marinette's confidence immediately went out the window. "No! It's not what you think at all! It's just that... it's gonna be... eh... Nathaniel's birthday soon and, ehm, Marc, Lily and I wanted... to give him a disguise... I mean, surprise!"

We all smiled to play along. Adrien didn't seem to buy it, though.

"Cool." Wait, did he just wink at Marinette?! "Very typical of you, Marinette. Well, if you need any help with that, let me know." He then walked off.

"Sure won't!" Marinette said with an 'I can' gesture. Realizing what she said, she corrected herself with a higher pitched voice. "Sure will!" She then slumped with a groan.

"You're just as shy as we are, aren't you?" Marc asked, gesturing to Lily.

"Just do as I say, not as I do, okay?" Marinette asked matter-of-factly.

* * *

 **Sakura**

Elisa had gone back to her place with Luka to rehearse their duet in Footloose, Lily was hanging out with Mia and Melandra, and I was heading to the Place des Vosges with Nathaniel.

We came across Marc sitting on the fountain, but Nathaniel didn't know it yet.

"Ladybug?" Nathaniel asked with a smile.

Marc turned around, revealing himself to not be Ladybug.

"What?!" Nathaniel widened his eyes. "You're not Ladybug!"

"Of course I'm not." Marc pulled down his hoodie. "It's me, Marc. Didn't Marinette and Lily tell you?"

"Marinette? Lily?" Nathaniel looked up at Marinette's balcony and saw her filming us with her phone.

Wow, looks like Operation: Comic Book just _backfired_.

"You were trying to make a fool of me, weren't you?" Nathaniel pointed accusingly in Marinette's direction. "Do you think it's funny to toy with my feelings?"

"No, not at all! I-" Marc stammered. "I I just want.. to make.. a comic book, if you want to, that is."

"A comic book? Us?! Together?! Never!"

Much to my shock, and Marc's, Nathan _ripped the journal_ and threw it down! He walked off fuming.

I was appalled by what Nathan had just done. You don't go ripping people's belongings like that!

I patted Marc on the shoulder. "I'll talk some sense into him." I then stormed off after him. "Nathaniel! You get back here and apologize right now!"

* * *

 **Marinette**

"Oh, no!" I gasped in dismay. I ran down to comfort him. However, I was too late by the time I reached the Place des Vosges. Instead of Marc, there was a black and white person on a color matching hoverboard. Mr. Ramier, who had previously been akumatized into Mr. Pigeon (several times), was sitting on a bench, feeding the pigeons.

"Marc? What happened?"

"I'm not Marc anymore." He said. This was obviously Marc, but his voice has deepened considerably. I gasped in fear. Oh, no! He was akumatized!

He flew around on his hoverboard before stopping to float above me. "I am Reverser! And you, Marinette, the one who caused all this! You think you're the super helpful girl who's loved by everyone? Well, from now on, everyone will hate you!" He formed a paper plane in his hand and threw it at me. "Reversion!"

I ducked, and the paper plane hit Mr. Ramier instead. The pigeons flew away from him, and he ran after them, pleading for them to come back.

"But I don't get it!" I tried to reason with him. "We really were trying to help you!"

" _LIAR!_ " Reverser prepared to throw another paper plane at me. "You and Lily told Nathaniel I was someone else!"

Thankfully, he was stopped by someone blowing a whistle. He turned and saw Officer Roger staring him down.

"Hey, you! What is this thing?" He pointed at the hoverboard. "Vehicle registration, please."

"You're all about law and order? Well we're all done with that! Reversion!"

While Reverser was busy with Officer Roger, I got up and ran somewhere to hide.

Officer Roger was laughing and pumping his taser. "Do whatever you want with that paper plane of yours. I've got other plans!" He then ran off somewhere.

Reverser then turned around, but I was gone. He couldn't find me, not where I was hiding.

Seeing my absence, Reverser flew off in another direction, yelling "MARINEEETTTE!"

From my hiding place behind a nearby wall, I turned to my kwami. "Where did Operation: Comic Book go wrong? We'd better find out. Tikki, spots on!" I transformed and went to engage Reverser. I wrapped my yo-yo around his arm and pleaded for him to make the right choice and give up, but he refused.

"You talk a lot, Ladybug, but what will you do without your powers? Reversion!" He threw multiple paper airplanes at me, but I skillfully dodged them all.

"You can't stay still, can you? Well let's go for a ride, then!" He then flew off, dragging me through the streets with him.

Hopefully, Cat Noir and the others will show up soon...

* * *

 **Elisa**

I was in my room with Luka. We were practicing 'Almost Paradise', the duet Ren and Ariel sing in the show. At that moment, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Elisa, what's wrong?" Luka put his hands on my shoulders.

"I think someone's been akumatized. Lily might be in danger. I have to transform."

Suuiren flew out of her little bed and over to me.

"Be careful, babe." Luka pecked me on the lips.

"I will, love. I'm guessing all the meditating I've done and when we did it together really made a difference. Suuiren, shake your feathers!"

I transformed into Crystal Cygne and went to search for my teammates. I immediately found Cottontail, who insisted we go find Lily.

* * *

 **Adrien**

I was in the Gorilla's car, stuck in a traffic jam. I was watching the news to try and pass the time, but I was still bored.

"As Mayor Bourgeois will later talk about his new Space Dumpster program," Nadja Chamack said on the news. "Protesters gathered under the slogan 'Space is No Dump' and are walking towards City Hall, causing traffic jams in the center of the city!"

Something out of the corner caught my eye. I looked out the window to see a laughing Officer Roger with duffel bags of money on his shoulders, pumping his taser in the air. "In the name of the law: do whatever you want!" He then ran off to who-knows-where.

"The bank! He robbed the bank!" A random man yelled.

I then heard screaming. I looked up to see Ladybug being dragged through the air on a black and white being riding a hoverboard. He must have been akumatized!

I opened the car door and turned to the Gorilla, having come up with a great excuse.

"I forgot my fencing gloves. Since traffic's so bad, I'll go get them and catch up with you on foot!"

I ran behind a wall and let Plagg out of my jacket.

"Plagg, claws out!"

I transformed into Cat Noir and went off to find my Bugaboo. I hope she's all right...

* * *

 **Lily**

"Lily, you've gotta see this!" Melandra pulled on my arm, dragging me along. "Officer Roger is not his normal self, and there are others acting strange as well!"

"That's likely rubbish." Mia rolled her eyes. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry..." She stopped when she saw pigeons flying away from Xavier Ramier and Officer Roger pumping his taser and running off with duffel bags of money he took from the bank. What was going on?!

"...about."

I gasped, and Melandra covered her mouth in shock. Why were they acting different?

"Ok..." Mia said, changing her demeanor. "On second thought, we should probably worry just a little bit..."

I then saw two dots on the horizon, getting closer and closer at top speed.

"Wait... Crystal Cygne? Cottontail?"

"Lily! Guys!" I recognized the voice as Cottontail's.

They appeared to be struggling to catch their breath. It seems what they had to tell us was extremely urgent. Crystal Cygne was in the air, and she was pulling Cottontail by the hand.

It wasn't long before Crystal Cygne became so exhausted, she could not keep herself in the air anymore. She landed on top of Cottontail, and both superheroines crashed to the ground.

Melandra, Mia and I immediately ran to where they had fallen.

The two got to their feet and started spewing out insults at each other.

"This is all your fault! Had you not insisted on us heading over here as fast as we could go, we wouldn't be so tired!"

"Uh, hello, puff ball? How _exactly_ is this _my_ fault?"

"Ladies! Ladies!" I shoved the two apart before they could hit each other. "If there's anyone to blame for all this chaos, it's Hawk Moth. Now, why are you two in such a panic?"

When Crystal Cygne and Cottontail finished explaining, I was both worried and scared. According to what they had told me, Marc had thought Nathaniel, Marinette and I made a fool out of him! He had been akumatized into a villain on a hoverboard known as Reverser. Apparently, he lived up to his name, which explained why Officer Roger was not his normal self.

I'm sure Elisa ushered everyone to safety, Sakura was off yelling at Nathaniel, and Marinette had found a hiding place, but I was not out of the woods yet.

"Luckily, I have a secret weapon." Cottontail raised a wish card to the sky. A wormhole opened up, and a familiar looking bat swooped down in front of us. I never thought I would actually see this creature! It was Lunala, the Legendary Pokémon!

"A Pokémon?" I narrowed my eyes. "I thought they weren't real things!"

Crystal Cygne giggled. "Cottontail is full of surprises."

My face lit up in realization. "Lunala could help me get to safety!"

"And if Reverser gets either myself or Cottontail, the other will accompany you and Lunala." Crystal Cygne reassured me.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Cottontail shrugged. "Better sooner than later."

I nodded. The three of us took off running, Lunala flying beside us. Melandra and Mia left to go into hiding.

When we reached the Seine, we gasped at what we saw. Ladybug was clumsy, and Cat Noir was a coward!

"Ladybug! Cat Noir!" I cried out.

"Reverser must have hit them." Crystal Cygne concluded.

"Protect Lily for us." Ladybug smiled sadly.

Cottontail nodded. "We will. Come on! We have no time to lose!"

The three of us took off once more. It took us twenty seconds to get to the nearest alleyway.

"Cottontail, keep lookout."

Cottontail was only in the air for four seconds before she came back down. From the look on her face, what she was about to say did not sound good.

"He's onto us."

I started to panic, but Crystal Cygne patted my shoulder. I climbed onto the Moone Pokémon with hope in my eyes.

"Ready, Lunala?"

Lunala looked at me and chirped. We were the first to take off into the air.

Five seconds later, Crystal Cygne was behind us. Cottontail took off, and we were flying through the streets of Paris.

"Look out!" Cottontail cried. "He's on our tail!"

"Crystal, why don't you hold him off? Hurry, Lunala! Hurry!"

While Crystal Cygne held Reverser off, Cottontail stayed with me and Lunala.

Thirteen seconds into our gangway, Cottontail stopped and gasped. "Crystal! She didn't last!"

I was ready to panic when Cottontail urged us forward.

"Hey, Lily, I just got what is probably one of the best ideas ever!"

"What is it?" I asked. I was afraid, but hopeful that Cottontail's idea would get me out of this jam.

"There's a big wall over there, and if Reverser finds us, I'll distract him. You'll wait for my signal, and when I give it to you, Lunala will bring you to safety. I'm positive you'll be safe then."

"Cottontail, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I don't know if it'll hold Reverser off for long. But it's worth a shot. You guys hide behind that wall. I have something in mind should he find us."

Lunala and I ducked behind the wall Cottontail pointed out. As I predicted, we didn't last, and Reverser cornered us.

"Cottontail, where are you hiding Nathaniel, Marinette and Lily?" He demanded.

Oh my God. This is Marc, but his voice really deepened! No, Lily! What are you thinking?! He's been akumatized, and you should be scared!

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cottontail said sassily.

"Yes, you do!" Reverser growled. "I saw you with Lily!"

"Let me think... Go!"

With that, Lunala and I sped off. Reverser started after us, but Cottontail distracted him. I looked back at her with a smile.

Only seven seconds passed before I got this feeling of dread. Lunala stopped, having likely sensed it too. Not even Cottontail held him off for long...

I took a deep breath. "Lunala, this isn't the time to be a worry wart. Let's keep moving forward."

Lunala took off again, and I had these thoughts course through my mind. Reverser turned Ladybug into a klutz, and Cat Noir into a coward. What did Crystal Cygne and Cottontail become?

Half a minute later, Lunala and I arrived at what I hoped would be my safe spot: an alley with a brick wall.

"Please don't leave me, Lunala... I still need you."

Lunala suddenly spoke, which I did not expect her to do.

 _Lily, I wish I could stay with you longer, but I can only stay for so long._

I sighed. "I understand, Lunala."

With that, the Legendary Pokémon opened a wormhole and disappeared into it.

I was now alone. I was a bit nervous too.

Turning to face the brick wall, I silently prayed, hoping Ladybug and the gang would be ok.

I didn't notice anyone sneaking up on me until I turned around and was too late.

"I found you, Lily!" Reverser pinned me to the wall.

Oh, no. Lunala must have given me away when she went back into the Ultra Wormhole.

I was cornered. Trapped. The cat had caught the mouse.

I was paralyzed with fear, not of him, but how he had allowed Hawk Moth to corrupt him.

He leaned in close to me and growled,

"I have you now, Lily. You cannot escape me."

That deep voice! Dammit!

I was so scared, but why were my mind and body telling me otherwise?! Why did I shiver when he spoke?!

"Snap out of it! This isn't the Marc I know."

"It's Reverser now." He corrected. "And this is the new me."

"What do you want with me?"

Reverser took a step back from me, and he held out his hand. "Lily, come with me. We'll take Ladybug, Cat Noir and their gang's Miraculous, I'll reverse Nathaniel into making a comic book with me, and then we'll be together."

What?! I didn't have the will to do that. I was overwhelmed by this point. I had to run away!

Not wanting to waste another second, I turned tail and made a run for it.

"Like I said, you can't escape me, Lily! Reversion!"

I was too late. His paper plane struck me in the back, and I tripped over my feet, falling to the ground.

I suddenly felt different. All the fear and worry were gone.

"Lily?" Reverser flew to my side on his glider before hopping down to the ground.

I looked up into his concerned black and white eyes. He held out his hand to me again. This time, I took it. He got back onto his glider and helped me onto it.

He squeezed my hand before pulling me against his strong body.

I tensed up, taken aback. I did not expect that!

After a few seconds, I relaxed, gently hugging him in return. I wanted this to last forever. Somehow, I felt safe in his arms.

We then sat down to cuddle on his glider, and I brought my head down to rest on his chest.

I listened to his calm breathing, yet I noticed... his heart was beating really fast... for me?!

 _Damn you, Lily!_ I cursed myself. _How could you have been such an idiot?!_

As I gave myself a good scolding, Reverser's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Lily. _My_ Lily."

I smiled to myself. He called me _his!_ Hold on...

He stood up and helped me to my feet before wrapping a strong arm around my waist and pulling me tightly against him.

He titled my chin up so I stared into his eyes. What was he doing?!

I gasped as he leaned in towards me. I closed my eyes, and then his soft black and white lips caressed my ruby red ones.

Everything shattered. The passion hit with full force. It felt like an atomic bomb going off. I temporarily went blank before kissing him in return. The arm he had around my waist tightened, and I wrapped an arm around his neck, placing my hand on his chest.

This was not how I imagined my first kiss to go, but who cares? He's akumatized, but this is still Marc! Wait, I'm starting to realize something... Has he been in love with me this whole time?! If it's true, I guess Hawk Moth akumatizing him gave him the confidence to confess to me.

"Marc, uh, Reverser, do you... love me?"

"Yes, Lily. More than anything."

A smile blossomed on my face. My suspicions were confirmed!

I lowered my head in shame, my smile faltering.

"How could I have been so blind? How could I have..."

He tilted my head up and silenced me with a kiss.

"No more of that, Lily."

"At least we're together now." I glanced into his eyes with pure emotion in mine.

* * *

 **Marc/Reverser**

Lily. She's mine. I finally have her in my arms.

I saw the fear in her eyes, but it took one of my paper planes to get rid of that fear.

It was no use for her to resist. I knew my voice got a reaction out of her.

Yes, Lily was involved in Marinette and Nathaniel's plan, but I bear no ill will towards her, unlike the other two.

I stroked her hair and breathed in her scent of the flowers that were her namesake.

Just so much as holding her made me happy.

Then I felt confident enough to kiss her. And I enjoyed every bit of it.

I love everything about Lily. Her light purple hair, her sweet angelic voice, her shining blue eyes, her refusal to resort to violence...

My heart pounded faster when Lily asked if I loved her.

I told her I did, more than anything.

That brought a smile to her beautiful face.

However, that smile disappeared, and she blamed herself for being apparently oblivious. I grabbed her chin and kissed her to stop her rambling.

"No more of that, Lily." I insisted.

"At least we're together now." She spoke with her lovely voice. The smile had returned to her face, and I could see the emotion in her zircon eyes.

All that's left to do is reverse Marinette and Nathaniel, have Nathaniel make a comic book with me, and then take the team's Miraculous.

However, if there's one thing I will not put up with, it would be Ladybug and her gang trying to take Lily away from me.

* * *

 **Lily**

"We're taking off, Lily. We need to cause mayhem so we can lure Marinette and Nathaniel out of hiding. Then we'll go after Ladybug and her friends. When they're vulnerable, I'll snatch their Miraculous."

"What if I fall?"

Reverser tightened his grip on me. "I've got you, Lily. You won't fall."

With that, we took off into the sky.

"Where are we going?"

"The Bourgeois Hotel." Reverser replied. "I think it's time we pay Chloé a visit."

We soared above the hotel to find Chloé laying on a lounge chair and Sabrina filing her nails.

"Tell me where Nathaniel and Marinette are!" Reverser demanded.

Sabrina looked up at us in fear, and Chloé waved us off.

"Can't you see we're busy?"

"You're definitely the meanest person alive, treating Sabrina like a slave!" He let go of me for a few seconds to throw two paper airplanes: one at Sabrina and another at Chloé. "Reversion!"

With that, their places were switched. Sabrina, now in the lounge chair, snapped her fingers. "Chloé, I want some juice made from fresh strawberries, but pick out all of the seeds first."

"Yes, Sabrina! Coming right up, Sabrina!" Chloé rushed off to get juice for Sabrina. Both Reverser and I laughed at the outcome before taking off again. I have to admit, she needed that.

We came upon Mayor Bourgeois talking about his new space dumpster program, and how storing the trash in space dumpsters has made Paris the cleanest city in the world. There were protesters present, and they were not happy about it.

As we flew down, I could hear the protesters chanting "Space is no dump!" over and over. Among the crowd, I could see Ivan and Mylène. Ivan was booing the Mayor, and Mylène was holding a sign.

The protesters stopped chanting when they noticed our presence. Mayor Bourgeois also noticed us.

Reverser smirked at the whole display. "Paris, the cleanest city? We'll see about that!" He threw a paper airplane at Mayor Bourgeois. "Reversion!"

Mayor Bourgeois turned around to address the crowd before doing something on his tablet. "I'm going to order our satellites to release all the dumpsters back down toward Paris, making our city the biggest trash heap the world has ever known."

Ok, maybe that's a bit harsh. I'm afraid of what could happen. Was he endangering many innocent people?!

Reverser laughed evilly, and I clutched onto him in fear. The protesters panicked and ran off. Only Ivan and Mylène remained, looking up at us in terror.

* * *

 **Marinette**

We took a cab to Françoise Dupont High School. After Crystal Cygne and Cottontail came to us, we learned Reverser had hit them. Crystal Cygne was now mean, and Cottontail was extremely shy. She couldn't talk either. That only meant one thing: Reverser got a hold of Lily.

I'm praying that Alya and Nino went somewhere safe...

Cat Noir was the first to exit. He was wearing a shock blanket.

"Whoa, you drive like a maniac!" Cat Noir pointed at the cab driver.

"Yeah, why don't you take driving lessons!" Crystal Cygne spat. She was the second to get out.

I exited the cab next, grabbing Cottontail by the hand. "Sorry about that." I apologized to the driver. "They're not quite themselves right now."

Letting go of Cottontail's hand, I closed the door, but got my yo-yo string stuck. I fell against the taxi and opened the door again to retrieve the yo-yo, almost falling in the process. I then took a step forward, tripping over my yo-yo cord. I groaned in frustration.

When we reached the top of the stairs, I bumped into Cat Noir, who had a look of confusion on his face. He was looking in the direction of the art room.

"I hate art and music!" Mr. Ross yelled, throwing down paintings and pieces of paper. "Let's destroy it all!" He ran off down the hallway, along with Rose and Juleka, who threw down her guitar.

I held onto the railing. "Reverser got here first!"

"No duh!" Crystal Cygne snapped. "He rides a flippin' hoverboard!"

I looked down at some of the papers on the floor. Among them were Nathaniel's sketches! I noticed the Louvre in those papers. I picked one up to take a closer look at it.

"Look! The Louvre is in almost every single one of Nathaniel's drawings."

"Does this mean we have to take another cab?" Cat Noir asked in a shaky voice. Crystal Cygne and I glared at him, while Cottontail facepalmed.

* * *

 **Alix**

I skated through a section of the museum, talking with Nathaniel, who was sulking on a bench. He seemed down in the dumps. After a bit of prodding, I got him to tell me what had happened.

"Maybe you should've given him a chance to explain." I suggested.

Nathaniel didn't seem to care at this juncture. "What's the point? He wanted to tease me. Like everybody else."

I stopped skating to stand in front of him. "It can't possibly be because of Marinette. It's not like her to make fun of other people."

"Hmm," Nathaniel contemplated. "Do you think I jumped the gun a bit?"

"Nathaniel!" We turned to see Ladybug and her allies in the entranceway. "We need you, it's an emergenc- whaa!" She tripped over pretty much nothing and fell on top of her teammates. "Ugh... This is getting tiring."

We helped Ladybug and the others up before she pulled out her yo-yo and showed us a live news broadcast from Nadja Chamack.

"It's been confirmed, ten thousand tons of garbage have just been released from space and are about to rain down on Paris. Unless Mayor Bourgeois cancels the process, the city will soon be under a mountain of trash. The man behind the chaos: Supervillain Reverser has given an ultimatum."

We had learned that Reverser was an akumatized Marc. Not only did he cause Mayor Bourgeois to send the trash back down, he also took our friend Lily. I'm guessing he desires her, or has romantic feelings for her that he was initially too scared to reveal. Or both...

Reverser appeared on the live feed, hovering near the Eiffel Tower. "Ladybug! Cat Noir! I command you, Crystal Cygne and Cottontail to deliver Nathaniel and Marinette to me, right now! I also demand that you hand over your Miraculous!"

Ladybug closed her yo-yo, ending the live feed. "We have to try and talk to him. And we're gonna need you, Nathaniel!"

Judging by Ladybug's clumsiness, Cat Noir's cowardice, Crystal Cygne's Chloé-like behavior and Cottontail's shyness/inability to speak, it seems Reverser hit them and inverted their personalities/characteristics.

"What about Marinette?" Cat Noir asked.

"We won't have time to save Marinette's skins." Crystal Cygne said in a Chloé-esque tone of voice.

"Crystal Cygne's right. Reverser will have to settle for just Nathaniel."

"I'm coming with you." I said adamantly.

I've known Nathaniel for a long time. There's no way I'm leaving him behind. I won't take no for an answer.

"No way! It's too dangerous."

Cat Noir smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I'll just stay here too, so I don't get in the way..."

Cottontail held up her hands in an 'I surrender' manner.

I smirked, getting a funny idea. I leaned into Cat Noir's ear and said, "Boo!"

Cat Noir screamed and jumped into Ladybug's arms. The two fell over, and Ladybug growled in annoyance.

I held out my hand. "It looks to me like you're going to need a helping hand."

Cat Noir seemed to agree. "You can never get too much help."

'True, true.' Cottontail wrote on the mini chalkboard she had with her.

I helped Ladybug to her feet. "Nathaniel is my friend. I'm not dropping him."

* * *

 **Normal POV**

Annaleise Robinson was in the kitchen doing the dishes when she heard her husband, Birhan, yell in frustration. She ran out into the living room to see Birhan standing in front of the TV, fuming.

"Bir! What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong! One of Hawk Moth's lackeys has run off to who-knows-where with our daughter! Go! Get me anything! Get me a water gun!"

 **Mr. Robinson:**

 _Kids!_

 _I don't know what's wrong with these kids today._

 _Kids!_

 _Who can understand anything they say?_

 _Kids_

 _They are disobedient, disrespectful oafs!_

 _Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy loafers!_

 _And while we're on the subject_

 _Kids!_

 _You can talk and talk till your face is blue._

 _Kids!_

 _But they still do just what they want to do!_

 _Why can't they be like we were?_

 _Perfect in every way?_

 _What's the matter with kids today?!_

Annaleise shrugged.

 **Mr. and Mrs. Robinson:**

 _Kids!_

Birhan ran into the kitchen to look for a bottle of gin, but Annaleise stopped him.

"It just isn't like Lily to get herself into such a heap of trouble!" Birhan smacked his forehead.

 **Mr. and Mrs. Robinson:**

 _Kids!_

Birhan ran into the living room, Annaleise chasing after him once again.

"Why don't they put 'em in the Army earlier? Say about 11?"

 **Mr. and Mrs. Robinson:**

 _Kids!_

Yet again, Birhan went to the kitchen to look for gin, but Annaleise stopped him once again.

Birhan turned to his wife, disgruntled.

"I didn't even know what puberty was till I was almost past it!"

 **Mr. and Mrs. Robinson:**

 _Laughing, singing, dancing grinning morons!_

 _And while we're on the subject_

 _Kids!_

 _They are just impossible to control!_

 _Kids!_

 _With their awful clothes and their rock and roll!_

 _Why can't they dance like we did?_

 **Mr. Robinson:**

 _What's wrong with Sammy Kaye?_

 **Mr. and Mrs. Robinson:**

 _What's the matter with kids today?_

Annaleise put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Bir, I know you want what's best for our daughter. I want what's best for Lily too. However, no one is perfect."

Birhan sighed. "Yeah, you're right, Anne. But still, Lily's getting an earful from me."

"Now hold on a minute. What if Lily was affected by the akuma's powers? She wouldn't have done anything weird otherwise."

Birhan sighed a second time. "Now that I think of it, Anne, you're right on that one too."

"And you're right, too. It really isn't like Lily to get herself involved in dangerous situations."

Birhan wrapped an arm around Annaleise. "Let's hope Ladybug and the others bring our girl home."

* * *

 **Lily**

The sun was starting to set, turning the sky a light purple color. I was standing on top of the Eiffel Tower, gazing out at the city.

Reverser came up from behind me and held me, running his hands down my arms. I leaned back into his embrace, tucking my head into his neck. The blush on my face darkened, and I felt like my whole being was on fire.

"You didn't have to do that, you know. Reversing Mayor Bourgeois into sending the space dumpsters down here." I spoke softly.

"It was the best plan I could come up with to lure Ladybug and her gang here."

"I know." I let out a sigh of content when his arms encircled my waist. "But what _did_ they have against space dumpsters anyway? I'm not saying it isn't bad. I'm saying it's a totally _ludicrous_ idea! I mean, they were repeatedly chanting 'space is no dump'. I even recognized a few people: Ivan, Mylène..."

"Just stand with me, my love. Right here in my arms." Reverser cooed in my ear. "Think nothing of that nonsense."

I shivered, letting my eyes flutter closed. That deep and slightly distorted voice would be the death of me...

"Lily..." He deeply whispered, half-singing my name.

I shuddered further. This was complete and utter torture!

But there was something else bugging me. Why did Reverser bring Mayor Bourgeois all the way up here? Was he still fiddling with his tablet? And just how many space dumpsters are there?!

"Do you still have your hoverboard with you?"

"It's right next to the Mayor." He replied, placing a soft kiss on my neck.

My mind was growing hazy, and I could barely think right. Did he even realize what he was doing to me?!

His lips curled into a smirk against my neck. Seems like he did know, and he very much enjoyed doing this.

I figured Ladybug and her team were on their way. Once they got here, I knew exactly what Reverser was going to do: go after their Miraculous.

"Um... They'll be here soon. Ladybug and the others..."

Reverser scoffed and briefly let go of me, only to turn me to face him and pull me into a passionate kiss.

"They won't stand a chance, my sweet. As long as they don't pull a..."

"Charlie Brown? Kinda like how in that old cartoon, Lucy says she's going to let Charlie kick the football, but she pulls it away and he falls flat on his back?" I smirked to myself when I remembered that show.

"As long as they don't pull a trick like that."

He pulled me closer for another kiss, and I smiled against his lips.

* * *

 **Alix**

I hitched a ride in a taxi with the Miraculous Four, and we were taken to the Eiffel Tower. Reverser was flying around the Tower, and there were police cars nearby.

Where was Lily, though?

"You're a public health hazard!" Cat Noir scolded the driver.

"But I never even went over 15 miles an hour." The taxi driver insisted.

"That's strange," I looked up at the sky, seeing strange flashes. "The stars are out early."

"Those are _not_ stars!" Ladybug said. "The trash is entering the atmosphere. In just a few minutes, it'll be like having a meteor shower, except with dumpsters instead."

Hearing whimpering from next to us, we looked to see Cat Noir shivering like he was cold.

"Would you knock it off?!" Crystal Cygne snapped. "I have never seen a bigger coward in my life than you, pussy cat!"

"Don't listen to her, Cat Noir." Ladybug put her hand on Cat Noir's shoulder. "She doesn't really mean that horrible stuff she's saying. But please don't be scared. We can do this."

"You're right, m'lady." Cat Noir lowered his hood. "Our powers may be all screwed up, but we still make a great team."

D'awwww! That's so sweet!

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug threw her yo-yo in the air. A big bamboo roll materialized out of thin air and bounced off of her head before she caught it in her hands. "A bamboo-roll?"

I wonder what she's going to do with that...

"Alix, can you get me one of those traffic cones?" Ladybug pointed to three nearby orange cones.

I ran to get the cone and brought it to Ladybug. She raised it to her mouth and used it as a megaphone to get Reverser's attention.

"Reverser! We're over here! I've got a deal for you. I'm gonna hand Cat Noir over to you now! In exchange, you'll reverse Mayor Bourgeois to order the dumpsters back out into space! Only _then_ will I give my Miraculous and Nathaniel."

Reverser narrowed his eyes. "I'll only reverse the mayor back if I have Cat Noir _and_ Nathaniel. Then I'll reverse Nathaniel, and he'll have no choice but to make a comic book with me."

Ladybug sighed. "Ok!" She shouted into the traffic cone.

Reverser smirked in satisfaction.

* * *

 **Nathaniel**

I was so worried. Just what exactly was Reverser going to do to me? And where's Lily?!

"M'lady, I'm too scared." Cat Noir complained as we walked into the Eiffel Tower's elevator.

"And I don't wanna be reversed."

"You have to trust me." Ladybug handed me her yo-yo. "This is gonna work."

The doors closed and the elevator started to ascend. Ladybug had already relayed her plan to me. I was making a kite out of Cat Noir's blanket and the Lucky Charm bamboo roll. When I was finished, I tied Cat Noir to the kite, blindfolded him with his belt and put the yo-yo in his mouth. The elevator stopped and the doors opened.

"Go, Cat Noir!"

As Cat Noir ran blindly off the edge, I noticed Mayor Bourgeois and a familiar girl in a white cape.

"Lily!"

She turned in my direction and smiled. "Nathaniel!"

I ran to hug Lily, and she gently hugged me back.

"Thank goodness you're all right."

"Nathaniel, of course I'm ok. Did you seriously think I'd get myself hurt?"

"To be honest with you, I did think that." I admitted.

At that moment, the Miraculous Cure spread through the city, and I knew Marc was back to normal.

"Huh?" Lily asked. "What am I doing here?"

It then hit me. She had been reversed.

"It's a long story. Let's go get Mayor Bourgeois."

* * *

 **Alix**

Ladybug had captured and purified the akuma, and Cat Noir was back on the ground with Marc. Everyone and everything were back to normal.

Mayor Bourgeois and Nathaniel exited the elevator, and they had Lily with them! Thank goodness she's ok!

"My, my. I guess that space dumpster thing was a bad idea after all." Mayor Bourgeois remarked.

Marc and Nathaniel made eye contact, but looked away from each other in shame.

"Thank you, Miraculous Four. You really keep this city clean."

Crystal Cygne nodded. "Anytime, Mayor Bourgeois."

"It's our duty as superheroes." Cottontail added.

Ladybug turned to our downtrodden art classmates. "Marc and Nathaniel? By now you realize there was a big misunderstanding, but if you give each other a chance, I'm sure you'll find out how well you can work together."

Nathaniel offered his hand to Marc. He smiled and shook Nathaniel's hand.

"A bit like the four of us, m'lady." Cat Noir remarked.

"Pound it." The Miraculous Four did their signature four-way fist bump. Crystal Cygne and Cottontail then left.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lily looking as if she'd collapse to the ground any minute.

I cried out Lily's name, and Cat Noir sprung into action, catching the lilac purplenette in his arms before she could hit the ground.

Ladybug gasped. "She's exhausted! Cat Noir, would you take her home to her parents for me?"

"With pleasure, Bugaboo." Cat Noir winked. Ladybug growled in response.

* * *

 **Normal POV**

Birhan was pacing around the kitchen and Annaleise was silently praying, when there was a knock at the door. Annaleise rushed to open it, and there stood Cat Noir with a semi-conscious Lily in his arms.

"Lily!" Annaleise shrieked, taking her daughter and hugging her tightly. "Oh, my baby! Lily June, you're ok. Thank you so much, Cat Noir."

Birhan heard his wife yell and rushed to see what the commotion was about. He beamed upon seeing that his daughter was home safe and unharmed.

While Annaleise was fussing over Lily, Birhan smiled gratefully at the black cat superhero.

"Thank you, Cat Noir, for bringing our daughter home safe."

Cat Noir bowed like a gentleman. "You're welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson. Just make sure you get her upstairs and into bed. She seems a bit out of it."

"We will." Birhan replied before shutting the door.

Once upstairs, Birhan and Annaleise helped their daughter into her bed.

"Lily, do you remember anything, sweetheart?"

"Not really." Lily muttered. "All I remember is running away with Cottontail and Crystal Cygne, and then everything else seems hazy."

Annaleise held Lily's hand. "Your father and I will allow you to eat your dinner in your room tonight. After that, it's early bedtime for you. You might not remember a whole lot, but you've been through quite a bit today."

Birhan left the room to get Lily's dinner. After her father was out of earshot, Lily spoke again.

"Mom...?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"Is Dad angry with me?"

Annaleise sighed. "Your father was a bit frustrated earlier. I know you wouldn't have done anything stupid by yourself, and I did explain it. Just remember that your father loves you very much, and he doesn't seem ready to accept that you're growing up."

"Is that why he's overprotective?"

"Yes, darling." Annaleise replied. "I remember when I started dating your father 27 years ago, my own father was just as overprotective. Just try and understand where he's coming from, ok?"

Lily nodded. "Ok."

Annaleise kissed her daughter's forehead. "I love you, Lily Pad."

"Love you too, Mom."

* * *

 **?**

As I sat down on my bed, I pulled out my diary and wrote my next entry.

 _Dear Diary:_

 _Mummy and Daddy dropped a huge bombshell on me. In two weeks, I'll be starting at a high school in Paris, France! Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited to make new friends. What I'm worried about is that people will laugh at me and not want to be friends with me simply because of my heritage. I just wish I could befriend someone who understands me._

* * *

 **Elisa**

After school four days later, I saw that Marc and Nathaniel were showing their finished comic to Mr. Ross. Anita and the other art students were also given a copy.

"Next, they team up with the Mightillustrator and de-akumatized Reverser. Then he joins the team."

"Wow, great job, boys!" Mr. Ross praised my friends.

"Heh, thanks." Nathaniel said, obviously flustered at the praise.

"None of this would've happened without you, Marinette." Marc smiled at my pigtailed classmate.

Marinette smiled back. "I'm so relieved you're not mad at me, guys."

"In fact, we've dedicated our first issue to you." Nathaniel held up the comic and pointed to the picture of Ladybug on the cover next to the Mightillustrator. Marinette gasped and looked at the last page.

"To Marinette, who would make a super superhero..." Nathaniel began.

"If she wasn't such a klutz!" He said with Marc.

At that, we all burst into laughter. What they said was funny, but also very true.

* * *

 **Lily**

Since today's Footloose rehearsal was during the school day, we didn't have to stay behind. My parents wanted me home in the next half hour, and I was in the park with Sakura and Elisa.

"Hey, Elisa, can you and Sakura walk to my house with me? I'd like that very much."

"Anything for our good friend." Elisa beamed.

The three of us put our hands in the center and chanted together, raising our hands to the sky on the last word:

"Once the Flower Trio, always the Flower Trio! Pow! Straight to the sun!"

We laughed and prepared to leave, only for Marc to run up to us.

"Lily, can I talk to you? I can't keep this in any longer."

"Of course, Marc. But don't be too long, ok, or else my parents might worry."

Marc sighed. "Lily, there's been something I've wanted to get off my chest, but I never got the opportunity. I wanted to say this to you."

What was it he wanted to tell me?

"Lily, I've had feelings for this girl, but I've never had the guts to tell her how I feel. That is, until recently."

"Who is this girl?"

Marc slowly reached out and touched my cheek. "It's... It's you, Lily."

I was astonished. Here, I thought Marc wouldn't like a girl, let alone me. And up until recently, I had thought I wouldn't like a boy, let alone Marc. I remember seeing him looking at Nathaniel the way I used to look at Sakura... But then again, Nathaniel and Sakura are dating one another, so neither of those would-be relationships could have worked.

Suddenly, I remembered when he was Reverser. His deep voice... His dark embrace... His lips against mine... His confession of love to me... The memories were returning to me at hurricane force.

I'm surprised I'm remembering these things. I had been affected by one of those paper airplanes! Most people wouldn't remember things they did when affected by an akuma's superpower.

I leaned into his touch, placing my hand over his.

He then leaned into my ear and said in his Reverser voice, "Don't leave me, Lily."

I shuddered at the sudden change in his voice. What? He's never been this bold before, except when he was akumatized. Not to mention him pulling off that voice again?! Ok, that does it. It's official. He confessed his love for me, and now it's time to confess to him in return.

"Oh, Marc, no! Especially after all that transpired four days ago? I will never leave you! From the bottom of my soul, I promise you."

I then sang to him, as Elisa and Sakura slowly came over to join us. I stared into his eyes, sincerity in mine.

 **Lily:**

 _One boy_

 _One special boy_

 _One boy to go with,_

 _To talk with and walk with_

 **Lily and Sakura:**

 _One boy_

 _That's the way it should be._

 **Sakura:**

 _That's the way it should be._

 **Lily and Elisa:**

 _One boy_

 _One certain boy_

 _One boy to laugh with,_

 _To joke with, have Coke with_

 **Lily, Elisa and Sakura:**

 _One boy._

 _Not two or three._

I nodded, letting him take my hands in his.

 **Lily:**

 _One day you find out_

 _This is what life is all about._

 _You need someone who_

 _Is living just for you._

I gently pulled on Marc's arms, guiding them around my waist. He held onto me like I was going to run away again. In return, I gently snaked my arms around his neck.

 **Lily, Elisa and Sakura:**

 _One boy_

 _One steady boy_

 _One boy to be with_

 _Forever and ever_

 _One boy._

 _That's the way it should be!_

 _That's the way it should be!_

 _That's the way it should be!_

Marc pulled me in for a real and genuine kiss.

When we separated, we linked arms and left the park together, followed by Elisa and Sakura.

* * *

 **Normal POV**

Unbeknownst to Marc and the Flower Trio, Marinette had been watching the whole thing. She was very happy for Marc and Lily, but her heart ached. She longed for Adrien to love her the way Luka, Nathaniel and Marc loved Elisa, Sakura and Lily.

 **Marinette:**

 _When will he find out_

 _This is what life is all about?_

 _Will he ever see_

 _I need him_

 _And he needs me?_

 _One guy_

 _One special guy_

 _One guy to live for,_

 _To care for, be there for_

 _One guy!_

 _That's the way it should be._

 _That's the way it should be._

Marinette sat down on the bench and wept.

* * *

 **Lily**

I was on cloud nine. Marc loved me, and I loved him! I guess some good things can happen with a bad guy like Hawk Moth on the loose.

Suddenly, Marc stopped walking.

"Marc, is something wrong?"

"Lily, please..." Marc tightened his grip around my waist. "Don't run away again. I don't think I could bear it."

"Marc," I looked up into his emerald eyes. "I already told you. I'm in love with only one boy: you."

"Then make this one commitment to me."

I stared at him intently.

"Lily," Marc pulled a sparkling red pin from his pocket. "Will you wear my pin?"

I was touched. Another romantic gesture; how sweet.

"Of course I will."

Smiling in relief, Marc pinned the pin onto my dress. He then pulled me in for another passion filled kiss.

"The next thing you know, people will start talking." I said when we separated.

"It's what we do these days."

Marc and I laughed together before he walked me home.

* * *

 **Elisa**

On my way home, I got a text from Valerie, asking me to meet her at the entrance of Paradise Shores Hospital.

I texted a response before sending a message to my parents.

The walk to the hospital was only fifteen minutes, and I instantly recognized Valerie when I was her.

"Are you going to tell me what happened to Lulu?"

Valerie nodded. "In just a little bit."

We entered the hospital, and walked up to the receptionist desk.

"I'm here to visit my cousin, Lulu Hendricks." Valerie said to the receptionist.

"Floor 8, Room 817."

"Thanks."

Valerie and I took the elevator to the 8th floor and found Room 817. When we entered, what I saw shocked me.

A girl with honey colored hair was lying unconscious on the bed, hooked up to an IV and several machines. The arm that the IV was in had several Lichtenberg burn marks, which disappeared into the sleeve of her hospital gown.

"That's your cousin? What happened to her?"

"She was struck by lightning, and she's been in a coma ever since she had been brought here."

"How long is she going to be like this?" I asked.

Valerie shook her head. "I don't know. I'm not sure how the recovery process will be like, either. I've read stories about lightning strike survivors that lose their memory, have to have an arm or leg amputated, or even have personality changes. I'm worried that something along those lines will happen to Lulu."

I put a comforting hand on Valerie's shoulder. "Your family has already been through enough with the epileptic seizure that killed Riley. I'm hoping for your sake and Lulu's that she makes it out ok."


End file.
